Live: Atlantis One Stop From KSC; Weather Reviewed

Atlantis is one stop away from a return to Kennedy Space Center, just over three weeks after launching from the spaceport on a dramatic final mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

A 747 ferrying the space shuttle orbiter landed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi around 2:45 p.m., where a "huge crowd" awaited, according to NASA's Twitter updates.

It was the second stop today and the third of a flight that began Monday in California.

Managers are studying the weather forecast, including some clouds gathering across Cape Canaveral, to determine if it's possible to finish the cross-country trip today.

We'll post an update as soon as possible.

Because of a slightly delayed departure from the last stop in San Antonio, Texas, Atlantis would likely arrive no earlier than about 6:45 p.m., KSC officials say.

Flight rules require that Atlantis be on the ground an hour before sunset, which is at 8:16 p.m. today.

To track the ongoing ferry flight, refresh this page for updates and click on the aircraft's tail number: NASA911.

You can also sign up for text alerts using the black box on the right side of this page.

IMAGE NOTES: Photo of Atlantis and 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft taken Monday, posted by GrouchoDuke on Flickr. Map from FlightAware.