Astronauts Who Fixed Hubble Return to Earth
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Space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven returned to Earth in triumph after giving the Hubble Space Telescope awesome new ability to see practically to the edge of the universe.
“I’m awe-struck when I look back at everything we were able to do,” said Columbia’s commander, Scott Altman.
Said NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe: “This exceeded everybody’s expectations.”
Columbia swooped through the predawn darkness on final approach. Altman guided his ship to a safe touchdown at Cape Canaveral, ending a 4-million-mile journey of 11 days.
The astronauts left behind an orbiting observatory able to generate more power and see farther than ever before.
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