KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After exiting the crew transport vehicle on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-122 crew stands in front of space shuttle Atlantis to greet the media and guests. At the microphone is Commander Steve Frick. Behind him, left to right, are Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Hans Schlegel, Rex Walheim (not visible) and Stanley Love, and Pilot Alan Poindexter. Schlegel represents the European Space Agency. After a round trip of nearly 5.3 million miles, space shuttle Atlantis and crew returned to Earth with a landing at 9:07 a.m. EST. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0405
