Weather to help shuttle landing

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A headwind from the north will blow right down the runway Wednesday at the shuttle landing facility, as Discovery prepares for a 1:01 p.m. EST landing.

"The weather is looking really, really good," said re-entry flight director Bryan Lunney. "The winds are going to be blowing right down the runway."

Discovery has enough food, water and power to remain in space until Saturday, if weather or technical problems force a delay.

A final inspection of the heat shield revealed no problems. The Mission Management Team cleared the thermal protection system for landing Tuesday afternoon.

"I've got no worries about the thermal protection system," said Lunney, who reported that the crew was in good shape mentally and physically.

The crew will wake at 2:38 a.m. EST Wednesday and begin landing procedures.

The re-entry path goes over the Pacific northwest, and Lunney said residents of the country's middle states might see the shuttle as it passes overhead.

"It's something to see," he said. "It's definitely worth a try."

Clouds or winds peaking higher than 25 knots could delay the landing.

"We all know that landing at KSC is always a challenge," said Lunney. "The weather is dynamic."






Wednesday's landing track