Dynamic weather across the southeastern United States is prompting NASA to keep shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base until a clear cross-country route emerges.Mounted atop a 47 carrier aircraft, Discovery now is slated to take off from Edwards Air Force Base in California at sun-up Sunday.
The 747 and its piggyback payload in that case would not return to Florida's Space Coast until mid-day Monday at the earliest.
NASA had hoped to get Discovery and its carrier aircraft under way on Saturday, but the weather forecast for the southeastern U.S. made it more appropriate to stay put at the Mojave Desert military base until at least Sunday.
ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge the NASA image of Disney’s space ranger Buzz Lightyear, who returned from space on Sept. 11 aboard space shuttle Discovery’s STS-128 mission after 15 months aboard the International Space Station. While on the station, Buzz supported NASA’s education outreach program – STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) by creating a series of fun educational online outreach programs.September 11, 2009 Credit: NASA/Tony Landis.
2 comments:
Sun up sunday take off to mid-day monday landing? 30 hours? Is that right?
Yep. It's a two-day trip. The 747 and Discovery wil make a stopover somewhere in the southern U.S. and then travel to Florida the following day. So mid-day Monday is the earliest we might see the dynamic duo back on the Space Coast.
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