Discovery, the world's most flown spaceship, departed from the International Space Station on Monday. It will wrap up its 13-day mission with a Florida touchdown, weather permitting.
Discovery now faces life as a museum display. It's the first of NASA's three space shuttles to be retired. NASA managers contend the fleet still has lots of flying lifetime left. But the agency is under presidential direction to aim for true outer space, which means giving up the shuttles, which are confined to orbit.