Washington - Endeavour shuttle roared back to Earth early Thursday morning, ending a record 16-day mission to install the first section of Japan's science lab, Kibo, and Canadian robot arm Dextre on the International Space Station. The shuttle and its seven-person crew made a night-time landing at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 0039 GMT.
A crew member called the mission "rewarding and exciting from start to ending," according to the audio transmission from the landing monitored in Washington.
Ground control welcomed the crew in their various languages, including Japanese and French.
"Congrats to the entire crew for delivering the (Japanese experimental module) and Dextre to their new home," the controller said.
He called it a "record" mission which left "the station larger and more capable than before."
