the astronauts can receive a brief medical checkup before they step onto the tarmac , NASA said . The crew 's mission included three space walks and installation of two platforms to the station 's backbone . The platforms will hold spare parts that will sustain station operations after the shuttles are discontinued . NASA said the parts the crew delivered will add years to the station 's life after the space shuttle fleet is retired next year . Some of the parts are for systems that keep the station from overheating or tumbling through space , NASA said . During the mission , the crew celebrated Thanksgiving while they prepared for landing . They dined on smoked turkey , green beans , mushrooms , cornbread dressing and candied yams , according to NASA . Russia will take over supplying the international space station . On this mission , Atlantis also marked a 6 pound , 13 ounce development . Astronaut Randy Bresnik welcomed a daughter from space , the second time a baby has been born to a U.S. astronaut on a mission . Mike Fincke 's daughter was born in June 2004 while he was aboard the international
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle Atlantis glided to a picture-perfect landing Friday morning under bright , sunny skies at Kennedy Space Center in Florida . The seven-person crew returned after an 11-day mission to deliver key spare parts to prolong the life of the international space station . The original six-member crew , with flight engineer Nicole Stott -- who launched in August -- returned amid sunny , clear Florida weather . `` Could n't have picked a clearer day , '' Cndr . Charles Hobaugh said as the shuttle approached the runway . Mission Control told Hobaugh that the landing was a `` picture-perfect end '' to the mission . `` Everybody , welcome back to Earth , especially you , Nicole , '' Mission Control said . Stott had spent 87 days on the international space station , according to NASA . About an hour after the shuttle landed , the crew transport vehicle moved alongside the orbiter access hatch on Atlantis ' port side , NASA said on its Web site . With the crew hatch opened , the astronauts left the orbiter to enter the vehicle . It contains beds and comfortable seats so