Damaged Endeavour Lands In Florida After Drama-Filled Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL. (AP) – Space shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth on Tuesday, ending a nearly two-week orbital drama that centered on a deep gouge in the shuttle’s belly and an early homecoming prompted by a hurricane.

The space shuttle swooped out of the partly cloudy sky and touched down on the runway at 12:32 p.m. The main concern for much of the mission was the gouge to Endeavour’s protective tiles. NASA did not want the shuttle to suffer any structural damage that, while not catastrophic, might require lengthy postflight repairs.

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

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