Science / Discovery Discovery Leaves Space Station, Heads for Home By Will McCahill, Newser Staff Posted Sep 8, 2009 6:51 PM CDT Copied This image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station's robotic arm grabbing cargo from Discovery, Aug. 31, 2009. (AP Photo) The shuttle Discovery detached from the International Space Station today and began its journey home to Earth, Space.com reports. The 13-day mission help resupply and repair the station; the seven crewmembers are scheduled to return to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:05pm Thursday. (More Discovery stories.) Report an error