Dramatic Discovery ISS send-off

The Space Shuttle Discovery has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) in an historic moment for Nasa's fleet.

Immediately after disengaging high above the Pacific, Discovery performed a victory lap around the orbiting outpost, where it has spent the past nine days.

The two crews beamed down pictures of each other's vessel, with the blue cloud-specked planet 220 miles below as the backdrop.

Live Nasa TV footage showed Discovery as it flew over the Atlantic and the Sahara, and in a matter of a few minutes, over the Mediterranean and northern Italy.

Discovery and its crew delivered a new storage compartment, as well as an equipment platform and the first humanoid robot in space.

The second stage in the retirement of the Nasa fleet sees Endeavour flying to the ISS in April, and the final mission sees Atlantis blasting off with supplies in June.

Nasa is under presidential direction to focus more on outer space, beginning with expeditions to asteroids and then Mars.