Around the Nation

Monday, December 1, 2008

Space Shuttle Endeavour Lands in California

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts safely returned to Earth on Sunday, taking a detour to sunny California after storms hit the main landing strip in Florida.

Endeavour wrapped up a 16-day trip that left the international space station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews. The shuttle dropped off home improvement equipment including a new bathroom, kitchenette, exercise machine, two sleeping quarters and a recycling system designed to convert astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water.

But the mission was not without its problems. Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper let go of a $100,000 tool bag during the first spacewalk, muttering "Oh, great" as it floated away.

Endeavour's astronauts also put in extra effort to get the urine processor working.

About seven liters of recycled urine and condensation were coming back aboard Endeavour for extensive testing. No one at the space station will drink the recycled water until the equipment runs for 90 days and ground tests ensure it is safe. More samples will be returned on the next shuttle flight.

The shuttle crew also conducted four spacewalks to clear metal shavings from a solar wing rotary joint at the space station. The joint had been jammed for more than a year and hampered energy production at the orbiting outpost.

On Sunday, NASA ordered the detour to California after dangerously high wind and a stormy sky prevented a Florida landing.

"Welcome back. That was a great way to finish a fantastic flight," Mission Control radioed.

"And we're happy to be here in California," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson replied.

Laura Bush Talks About What She Will Miss Most

Laura Bush soon will no longer live in the country's most famous mansion or be able to get away to the coveted Camp David presidential retreat. But beyond the perks, she says what she will miss most about being first lady are the staff and friends who surround her.

"I'll miss all the people that are around us all the time, from the ushers and butlers who are there for every president . . . to our own staff, of course, that we love to laugh with and talk with and solve problems with," she said in a televised interview broadcast Sunday. "So I'll miss the people the most."

President Bush's tenure ends on Jan. 20, when President-elect Barack Obama will take office. The Bushes plan to return to Texas, where they will probably spend their weeks in Dallas and weekends at their ranch in Crawford.

The first lady spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press" in a taped interview that focused largely on her advocacy for women and girls in Afghanistan. She encouraged Americans not to forget about Afghanistan, particularly as the militant Taliban, which brutally represses women, fights to reestablish itself.

Palin Campaigns for Chambliss

ATLANTA -- Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss enlisted Sarah Palin to rally conservatives while Democratic challenger Jim Martin pushed to activate black voters, as they grappled for advantage in a Tuesday runoff that will shape Democrats' hold on power in Washington. Palin, the Alaska governor who was John McCain's vice presidential running mate, attended private fundraisers Sunday night and was set to speak at rallies across the state Monday. McCain carried Georgia with 52 percent of the vote on Nov. 4. Martin planned to campaign with prominent Georgia Democrats.

Vatican Artifacts on Display

HOUSTON -- The only exhibit of Vatican artifacts outside the papal capital is on display in an unlikely spot: the National Museum of Funeral History, a little-known exhibit hall that celebrates coffins, hearses and other ceremonial aspects of death. It took the museum two years to secure Vatican permission for the project, plus another year to put the exhibit together.

-- From News Services