From NASA

NASA’s Return to Flight crew met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office at the White House this afternoon. The seven astronauts flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery last summer. Their mission, designated STS-114, was the first since the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003.

President Bush greeted NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and Discovery’s commander Eileen Collins, pilot Jim Kelly, and mission specialists Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda and Soichi Noguchi, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
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Shuttle Discovery landed safely this morning at Edwards Air Force Base, dropping out of a pitch black sky to end a 14-day mission which returned NASA to human space flight following a 30-month absence in the wake of the Columbia disaster.

Discovery touched down in California at 5:12 a.m. (Pacific) on the first landing opportunity, returning to the location where shuttle landings began. It is the 50th time a shuttle has returned to Edwards.

For the second consecutive day, two potential landings at the Kennedy Space Center were scuttled, this time by rain and lightening in the landing area. Weather concerns gave the seven-member crew an extra day in orbit when mission controllers waived off two landing attempts on Monday morning. An extra day in space wasn’t going to happen this time, with both Edwards Air Force Base in California and the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on standby.

Mission STS-114 answered many questions for the space agency. Among them, could repairs be made to shuttles while in orbit and could the agency develop the technology to determine if such repairs were necessary? The apparent answer to both was a resounding “yes.”

However, the mission also raised new concerns about the shuttle system’s ability to fly safely.
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Discovery’s home!

Rain and thunderstorms do in Florida landing opportunities.

[UPDATE 6:45 a.m. (Eastern)] Go for de-orbit burn issued. Landing is set for Edwards at 7:12 a.m. (Eastern).

[UPDATE 8:00 a.m. (Eastern)] The communications blackout caused by passing through the atmosphere has now passed.

[UPDATE 8:08 a.m. (Eastern)] Boom! Boom! Discovery is now subsonic.

…But lightening is still in the area. The crew has been ordered to prepare for a Florida landing — for now.

The forecast for a landing on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California is looking perfect, mission Capcom Ken Hamm told Commander Eileen Collins.

That’s good news to Discovery’s commander, who has just been told that rain and lightning were causing mission managers to pass on the first landing opportunity at the Kennedy Space Center. Conditions for a 6:43 a.m. (Eastern) landing at KSC aren’t looking much brighter, but NASA is continuing to hold out hope for a landing in Florida on the second and final landing opportunity today at KSC.

The first landing opportunity at Edwards is at 8:12 a.m. (Eastern).

Considering those facts, it appears the agency is ruling out considering either landing opportunity at White Sands New Mexico. A second opportunity at Edwards is also looking unnecessary.

For the second consecutive day, mission managers are observing their optimism diminish as a potential landing opportunity approaches at Kennedy Space Center.

Currently, there are concerns of rain and lightning within a 30-mile radius of the shuttle’s Florida destination.

One way or another, NASA plans to bring Discovery home this morning.

With two landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center, two at Edwards Air Force Base and another two at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, chances are looking pretty good that the return-to-flight will come to an end in the next few hours.

Conditions at KSC are very similar to early Monday morning, when two landing opportunities were waived off. Because NASA has a strong preference to bring Discovery back to Florida, no landing opportunities were scheduled at Edwards, in California’s Mojave Desert, or in New Mexico on Monday.

But, after spending parts of 14 days in orbit, Discovery is starting to run thin on supplies. With weather conditions favorable at Edwards, only a technical glitch would keep the shuttle in orbit another day.

Today’s landing opportunities are (all times Eastern):
• Kennedy — 5:07 a.m.
• White Sands — 6:39 a.m.
• Kennedy — 6:43 a.m.
• Edwards — 8:12 a.m.
• White Sands — 8:13 a.m.
• Edwards — 9:47 a.m.

Considering the clear weather forecast for Edwards and the fact that only one shuttle has landed in New Mexico, it would take an unusual set of circumstance for Discovery to land there.

The weather is currently a go, but mission control can’t get comfortable with the over all weather situation. After all, the weather now isn’t as important as the weather an hour or so from now.

With the inability to alleviate the weather concerns, Discovery and the seven-member crew will spend another 24 hours in orbit.

Two landing opportunities exist for tomorrow at both Kennedy Space Center (5:08 a.m and 6:43 a.m. Eastern) and at Edwards Air Force Base in California (8:13 a.m and 9:48 a.m. Eastern).

Discovery won’t land on time at the Kennedy Space Center.

Mission controllers just informed Commnader Eileen Collins that the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center was being waived off because weather in the area was unpredictable.

The astronauts will remain in space at least one additional orbit, with the next potential landing at 6:22 a.m. Eastern at KSC. No other landing site is available today.

Rain and low visibility cause concerns for NASA.

[Update, 3:29 a.m.]: If Discovery can’t return on the second-opportunity this morning, two landing opportunities are available at Kennedy on Tuesday morning, followed by two landing opportunities at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA is currently optimistic for good weather on this morning’s second (and final) landing opportunity.