Discovery In Space

The Nile River is seen during the third spacewalk, Aug. 3, 2005. Mission Specialist Steve Robinson's shadow is also visible.

Robinson made unprecedented repairs during the spacewalk, going beneath Discovery's belly to remove two protruding strips of tile filler that engineers thought could lead to dangerous overheating during the trip home.

Day Nine

A close-up view of a portion of Discovery's underside is seen in this image photographed by Mission Specialist Steve Robinson during the mission's third spacewalk, Aug. 3, 2005. Robinson's shadow is visible on the thermal protection tiles.

Day Nine

Mission Specialist Steve Robinson uses a digital camera to expose a photo of his helmet visor during the third spacewalk, Aug 12, 2005. Also visible in the reflection are thermal protection tiles on Discovery's underside.

Day Eight

President Bush, left, smiles after finishing a conversation with the space shuttle Discovery and international space station crews, seen on screen, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 2, 2005. President Bush phoned Discovery's astronauts, thanking them for being "risk takers for the sake of exploration."

Day Seven

Astronaut Soichi Noguchi waves from the shuttle payload bay, backdropped by the Earth below, Aug. 1, 2005. During the mission's second spacewalk, Noguchi and Discovery crewmate Steve Robinson replaced a failed gyroscope, which keeps the International Space Station in the proper position in orbit.

Day Five

Astronauts Steve Robinson, left, and Soichi Noguchi prepare for the first of three spacewalks, July 30, 2005.

They restored power to a gyroscope on the international space station. Only two of the four gyroscopes that control the orientation of the orbiting science lab have worked recently. NASA hoped to have all four gyroscopes operating simultaneously for the first time in three years.

Day Five

Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev gathers packages that were delivered to the international space station by space shuttle Discovery, July 30, 2005. The packages containing supplies and equipment were carried to orbit inside the cargo carrier Raffaello.

Day Three

Space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay is seen over the earth's horizon, July 28, 2005.

Day Three

Space shuttle Discovery performs a unprecedented backflip to allow the international space station to take detailed photos of the craft's heat shield, July 28, 2005.

All the photography and laser imaging being aimed at normally hard-to-see spots on the craft revealed a couple of short strips of fabric dangling from the craft's underside.

Day Three

The tiles on the underside of space shuttle Discovery, including the nose landing gear doors, are seen from the international space station, with the Earth in the background, July 28, 2005.

Day Three

Space shuttle Discovery is viewed from the international space station moments before docking, July 28, 2005.

Day Three

Members of the space shuttle Discovery crew are seen on board the international space station, July 28, 2005. The astronauts were greeted with hugs and bread and salt - a Russian tradition thought to bring good luck when visiting another's home -- when they entered the orbital lab.

Day Three

The docking came after a huge setback, in which NASA decided to ground future shuttle flights because a chunk of insulating foam flew off Discovery's fuel tank during liftoff -- as it did in Columbia's doomed mission. This time, the foam apparently missed the spacecraft. The area of missing foam is indicated by a light spot near the upper edge of the tank in this photo, which was taken after the launch, July 26, 2005.

Day Three

Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins, right, holds a communicator and grins for the camera on space shuttle Discovery's flight deck, July 28, 2005. Mission Specialist Steve Robinson works behind her.

Day Two

Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi gives the camera a quick wave while working on space shuttle Discovery's flight deck, July 27, 2005. Flight controllers in the Mission Control Center gave Noguchi the "Electrician of the Day" award for his quick thinking, troubleshooting a problem with the camera.

Day Two

Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, left, and Pilot Jim Kelly work on space shuttle Discovery's flight deck, July 27, 2005.