At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility surround the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery on top.

At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, platforms of the mate-demate device surround the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery on top. The piggybacked shuttle and aircraft touched down on runway 33 at 12:05 p.m. EDT. Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards. The two-day return flight from California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett