Shuttle returns to Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 17 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth Monday morning, ending a mission launched on the Fourth of July.

The astronauts conducted a series of experiments; delivered cargo to the International Space Station; dropped off European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will spend six months aboard the ISS; and returned to Earth with ISS trash and garbage.

"It was a fun entry, it was beautiful, Discovery's STS 121 commander Steven Lindsey told flight controllers after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

He said the crew watched the glow of the superheaded plasma during the re-entry, space.com reported.

"We could see the bright orange glow above and I could see the Earth moving below," said Lindsey. "It was spectacular. We could actually see the moon through the plasma."

Returning to Earth at 9:14 a.m. were Lindsey, pilot Mark Kelly, and mission specialists Lisa Nowak, Stephanie Wilson, Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum.

STS-121 was the 115th shuttle mission and the 18th to visit the space station. The shuttle's landing marked the end of Discovery's 32nd flight.