Rerouted Shuttle Lands in Calif.

Space shuttle Endeavour touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California today, after dangerously high wind prevented the crew from landing at its home base in Florida, and NASA ordered the astronauts to take a detour and head for the Left Coast. Endeavour touched down at 4:25pm EST, wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the International Space Station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews.

"It is what it is," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson radioed. "We'll see you on the ground in California." NASA always prefers to land space shuttles at Cape Canaveral, since it takes about a week and costs $1.8 million to transport a shuttle from California to Florida, atop a modified jumbo jet. (More NASA stories.)