The STS-119 astronauts walked around and beneath space shuttle Discovery, taking a last look at the spacecraft that served them well in orbit and brought them safely home to Kennedy Space Center in Florida this afternoon.

Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus also returned to Earth today with the STS-119 crew. Magnus 129 days aboard the International Space Station as flight engineer for Expedition 18. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata took her place on the orbiting laboratory and will return to Earth with the STS-127 crew.

A post-landing news conference is set for approximately 5 p.m. EDT and will air live on NASA Television. The participants are Bill Gerstenmaier, LeRoy Cain and Mike Leinbach.



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