Atlantis returns home

Only the 15th night-time landing for the shuttle

The space shuttle Atlantis has returned to Earth after a successful mission to fit out the International Space Station (ISS).

The five Americans and two Russians touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 0356 local time (0756GMT) on Wednesday. It was only the 15th night-time landing in space shuttle history.

Five days of the 12-day flight were spent inside the ISS, which is orbiting about 390 kilometres (240 miles) above the planet.

The astronauts and cosmonauts installed equipment and loaded supplies that will be needed by the station's first permanent residents who are due to arrive at the beginning of November.

"Congratulations on an outstanding job," mission control told the Atlantis crew. "We are proud of you all."

Commander Terrence Wilcutt inspected the shuttle and said: "We had a great time. We're all glad to be back."

'Sense of balance'

The fully fitted ISS will receive its first permanent crew in November

Among the supplies now stored on the ISS are shampoo, cream, shaving gel, moist towels and napkins, Russian and American meals, ear plugs, medical kits, labels, printer parts, clamps, brackets, camera equipment and small bags for the first permanent crew to use to relieve themselves in case the toilet jams.

That crew will consist of Commander Bill Shepherd, Soyuz Commander Yuri Gidzenko and Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalev. They will go up on 30 October in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan.

The next shuttle to fly to the ISS will be Discovery on 5 October.

It will deliver the Z-1 truss. This block houses four gyroscope devices that will become the space station's primary "sense of balance".

The truss will be attached to the station using a robotic arm, with astronauts performing four spacewalks to hook up the electrical lines and computer connections.

The Discovery mission will also be the space shuttle's 100th flight.