Shuttle 'Endeavour' returns to Earth

The US space shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth last night after a mission that delivered part of a Japanese research lab to the International Space Station.

Clouds at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida prompted Nasa to bypass Endeavour's first landing opportunity and nearly the second, but conditions stabilised, and the craft landed to end Nasa's 122nd shuttle mission.

During its 16-day mission, Endeavour delivered a storage room for Japan's Kibo lab, and a Canadian robot to help astronauts maintain the $100 billion space station. 

Nasa hopes to complete three more missions to the space station this year and a servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope

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