HOUSTON, Texas (AFP) – The shuttle Endeavour descended safely to Earth, spelling a feast of sushi and a clean pair of underpants for one Japanese crew member.
Endeavour's seven member crew, including Japan's Koichi Wakata, touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:48 am (1448 GMT).
The Japanese astronaut, who turns 46 on Saturday, said he hoped to celebrate by "having a lot of sushi and birthday cake."
Wakata, Japan's first long-duration astronaut, spent his time mostly carrying out experiments in the International Space Station's Japan's Kibo science laboratory.
The Japanese astronaut, who had flown in space twice previously, returned to Earth aboard Endeavour after 138 days in space and a novel experiment in which he wore a single pair of underwear made from a bacteria resistant fabric for a month.
"My space station crew mates never complained," he told an interviewer on Thursday.
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