Return to White Sands

Weather sent Columbia to an alternate landing site in New Mexico.

Edwards’ wet lakebed could not serve as the planned landing area. NASA prepared White Sands instead, but high winds there caused a further one-day postponement. The crew remained in orbit until conditions allowed the return. [1, 2, 3]

Columbia touched down on Runway 17 at Northrup Strip at 16:04:46 UTC on 30 March. The mission had lasted eight days and completed 130 orbits. The orbiter was subsequently ferried back to Kennedy Space Center, arriving on 6 April. [1]

◉ Real photograph