NASA waves off first Florida shuttle landing try

[DoYouEverWonder]

Dec 22, 2006

CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - NASA opted not to bring down the space shuttle Discovery on a first Florida landing attempt due to bad weather conditions, the space agency announced.

The US space agency left open the possibility that after another 90 minutes conditions will have changed to allow a descent to Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

If not, the shuttle can still possibly land at one of two other sites Friday: Edwards Air Force Base in California and the White Sands test facility in New Mexico.

The first targetted Florida landing time was 2056 GMT. The later time of 2232 GMT remains possible, and there are five possible landing times still available at the other two sites.

A landing in the southwestern state of New Mexico or in California would mean NASA would then have to fly the shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the back of a modified Boeing 747, at the cost of some 1.7 million dollars.

The shuttle landed only once before at White Sands, in March 1982. NASA officials are reluctant to use the landing strip because of desert sand blowing in the area.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061222/ts_alt_afp/usspaceshuttlelanding

From the looks of the sky around here, I serioiusly doubt they'll be able to land at the Cape. Hoping all goes well.

[Little Wing]

1. The press ALWAYS loves to point out how much it costs to move

the shuttle. :eyes:

[liberal N proud]

3. 1.7 Million dollars, a drop in the bucket compared to the Iraq war

That doesn't seem to bother the talking heads.

[Little Wing]

4. Exactly. Especially when the talking head neocons seem to think

that having a backup plan that costs a little more money is a bad thing.

What's the cost of ~losing~ a shuttle, compared to an extra shipping charge? :eyes:

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Channel 5 in DC will stream it

live on the Internets. Probably lots of stations will.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/

[YankeeFan]

5. They Landed Safely at the Cape