Weather looks more promising for KSC landing

NASA is optimistic that weather will allow shuttle Endeavour and six astronauts to make a 10:20 p.m. landing at Kennedy Space Center.

Astronaut Chris Ferguson is flying weather reconnaissance around the spaceport in a Shuttle Training Aircraft. He recently gave mission controllers an optimistic report suggesting that clouds were relatively thin and visibility fairly good.

As a result, the Endeavour crew was just given a "go" to begin fluid loading. Each crew member will drink at least 32 ounces of water, fruit punch and other beverages, taken with some salt tablets.

The process helps the astronauts avoid becoming lightheaded as they begin to feel Earth's gravity after two weeks in weightlessness, which keeps fluids pooled in the head and upper body.

If the weather outlook was very poor, Mission Control could have told the crew to postpone fluid loading until a later landing attempt.

If the positive forecast holds, Endeavour's engines would fire around 9:15 p.m. to begin its drop from orbit.

If the 10:20 p.m. landing opportunity is waved off, a second opportunity follows one orbit later at 11:55 p.m. After that, there are two more chances to land tonight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, at 1:25 a.m. and 3 a.m. EST.

Weather permitting, Endeavour will steer toward Runway 15 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility, approaching from the northwest.