Bad Weather Keeps Discovery Flying
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NASA cancels space shuttle Discovery's scheduled landing as storms threaten the Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will remain in orbit for at least another day as NASA considers Edwards Air Force Base as an alternative landing site on Sept. 11. Still unknown is the source of the mystery space debris Discovery dodged on its way home to Earth.
Discovery managed to dodge unidentified space debris Sept. 10 but was unable to overcome stormy East Coast weather as NASA called off the scheduled landing for the space shuttle returning from its cargo mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will remain in orbit at least another day as flight controllers study the weather conditions around Kennedy Space Center.Originally scheduled to land at 7:05 p.m., NASA waved off the landing due to unstable and uncooperative weather conditions. When the weather did not improve, NASA scratched an 8:42 p.m. landing attempt.
NASA is still undecided about switching landing sites on Sept. 11 to Edwards Air Force Base in California. While that decision is still being decided, NASA listed 5:48 p.m. and 7:23 p.m. as possible landing times Sept. 11 at Kennedy Space Center.
Earlier in the day as Discovery's seven-person crew prepared for landing after their 13-day mission, which has been plagued with minor glitches from launch to docking at the ISS, had to maneuver the craft to avoid a collision with what NASA called "mystery orbital debris." NASA said the debris is believed to be from the mission's third spacewalk.
During 8.5 days docked at the ISS, the Discovery's crew delivered and unpacked more than seven tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the orbital outpost. Discovery is returning to Earth with more than 5,000 pounds of trash, surplus items and scientific experiments.
Over the course of three spacewalks, the Discovery crew replaced a large coolant tank and retrieved experiments from the station's hull, in addition to completing minor repair jobs.
The mission also marked a crew change at the space station with NASA astronaut Nicole Stott replacing American Tim Kopra, who has completed a two-month tour of duty aboard the ISS. Stott is scheduled for a three-month stay.
Discovery's crew also delivered the COLBERT (Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill) treadmill, an exercise device named after comedian Stephen Colbert. Construction of the $5 million high tech treadmill will not begin until after Discovery has departed.
