Several hundred friends, family members and employees of NASA gathered this week at Ellington Field to welcome home the six-member crew of Space Shuttle Discovery. This was NASA’s second flight into space since the Columbia tragedy over East Texas in February 2003. For that reason everyone was ecstatic about the triumphant results of the mission. A large American flag draped behind the stage as six of the seven crew members took the time to share their experience aboard the Discovery. The shuttle’s seventh astronaut, Thomas Reiter, remained aboard the international space station.

© Houston Airport System The crew of Discovery's latest mission was welcomed home at Ellington Field.

They gratefully thanked their fellow team members, both on the shuttle and on the ground, whom helped the journey be so successful.

All agreed it was good to be home.

“In terms of human spaceflight…we’re back,” said crew commander Steve Lindsey.

Stephanie Wilson and Lisa Nowak, known as the “robo-chicks,” were responsible for operating robotic arms on the space shuttle and space station. Mike Fossum and Piers Sellers conducted space walks and Mark Kelly served as the pilot.

As the ceremony came to an end, the astronauts walked off of the stage and embraced their families, friends and co-workers.

Although it was well explained that the crew was extremely exhausted from their long trip, they all took the time after their remarks to take pictures and sign autographs for the people that attended the ceremony.

With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set to resume the assembly of the International Space Station.

Established during World War I, Ellington Field is a joint use civil/military airport that supports the operations of the United States military, NASA, and a variety of general aviation tenants.

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