Live in orbit: NASA considers runway switch

Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are latched shut and flight controllers now are considering a switch of runways for a planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

The weather here at NASA's coastal Florida spaceport is near pristine, but the direction of light winds are prompted lead flight director Bryan Lunney -- son of legendary Apollo flight director Glynn Lunney -- to consider switching the planned 9:07 a.m. landing to Runway 18 from Runway 33.

Runway 18 is the north to south landing strip. A landing on that end of NASA's three-mile runway would required a lefthand turn out over the Atlantic Ocean before the shuttle made its final approach.

NASA Chief Astronaut Steve Lindsey is continuing to fly weather reconaissance around central Florida, and in what amounts to a rare day, there are really no significant weather issues to investigate. Dark skies remain clear and starry; there's a full moon and it appears Atlantis will be given a go to land on the 46th anniversary of John Glenn's first U.S. orbital flight back in 1962.

We'll keep you posted on the runway switch.