Discovery crew packs up

Discovery astronauts packed up yesterday and got ready to leave the International Space Station as the first shuttle visit to the outpost since 2002 - and likely the last for a while - neared its end. Nasa earlier declared the shuttle safe to return...

Discovery astronauts packed up yesterday and got ready to leave the International Space Station as the first shuttle visit to the outpost since 2002 - and likely the last for a while - neared its end.

Nasa earlier declared the shuttle safe to return home, clearing the way for what is the first step towards Discovery's planned landing on Monday in Florida.

The Discovery crew said goodbye to station crew members Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips late yesterday, and had to undock early today.

It may be the last shuttle visit to the space station for some time because Nasa has grounded the shuttle fleet until it fixes the flying debris problem that destroyed Columbia in 2003 and resurfaced at Discovery's launch on July 26.

Because of safety measures put in place after Columbia broke apart over Texas, Discovery has been videotaped, photographed, laser-inspected and, in a shuttle programme first, repaired by Steve Robinson on one of his three spacewalks with Soichi Noguchi.

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