Shuttle Endeavour Lands Safely In Calif.

Florida Storms Force NASA To Switch Landing Site After Successful Makeover Mission To Space Station

(CBS/AP)  Diverted by stormy weather at the space shuttle's primary landing strip in Florida, Endeavour and its seven astronauts streaked towards a picture perfect landing in sunny California.

The shuttle touched down Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base at 4:25 p.m. EST.

NASA ordered the detour after dangerously high wind and a stormy sky prevented a Florida landing for the space station delivery and repair mission. With the weather at Kennedy Space Center looking no better for Monday, Mission Control opted for its backup landing site.

"It is what it is," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson radioed. "We'll see you on the ground in California."

Endeavour and its crew were wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the international space station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews. Returning home was former space station resident Gregory Chamitoff, who rocketed away from the planet at the end of May.

The space shuttle's journey spanned 6.6 million miles and 250 orbits of Earth.

NASA always prefers to land the space shuttles at its home base in Florida. It takes about a week and costs $1.8 million to transport a shuttle from California to Florida, atop a modified jumbo jet.

The astronauts also had been rooting for a Florida touchdown; that's where their families were waiting.

But the crosswind at the Florida landing strip was too strong, and thunderstorms were moving in. Monday's outlook was just as dismal; NASA officials said it would make no sense to keep Endeavour in orbit an extra day if the weather wasn't expected to improve in Florida.

As Endeavour soared over Houston, home to Mission Control, Ferguson could see all the bad weather in Florida.

"I think you made a good call," he radioed.

This would be the first space shuttle landing at Edwards in more than a year. Ferguson was aiming for a temporary runway that's shorter and more narrow than the Kennedy landing strip. Edwards' main runway - which parallels the temporary one - just underwent maintenance and upgrades, and has yet to be equipped with all the necessary navigation equipment.

NASA officials weren't concerned, saying both Ferguson and his co-pilot, Eric Boe, practiced on the temporary runway in training aircraft.

Flight surgeons were standing by at Edwards. Chamitoff, in particular, was expected to need assistance at touchdown; he had not experienced gravity for six months.

Endeavour blasted into orbit Nov. 14, carrying up all kinds of home improvement equipment for the space station. It dropped off a new bathroom, kitchenette, exercise machine, two sleeping quarters and a recycling system designed to convert astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water.

The additions - and a few more scheduled to go up on the next shuttle flight in February - should enable NASA to double the size of the space station crew by June.

Endeavour's astronauts helped install the recycling machine and had to put in extra effort to get the urine processor working.

About seven liters of recycled urine and condensation were coming back aboard Endeavour for extensive testing. No one at the space station will drink the recycled water until the equipment runs for 90 days and ground tests ensure it's safe. More samples will be returned on the next shuttle flight.

The shuttle crew also conducted four spacewalks to clear metals shavings from a solar wing rotary joint at the space station. The joint had been jammed for more than a year and hampered energy production at the orbiting outpost.

Initial tests indicated the repairs on the joint were successful. Overshadowing the clean and lube job, however, was the loss of a $100,000 tool bag. Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper let go of the bag during the first spacewalk; it wasn't tied down and floated away.

Early Sunday morning, a Russian supply ship arrived at the space station with Christmas presents, food, clothes and other items.


For more information on Shuttle Mission 126, visit the NASA Web site.

[whatever_12]

kevinkkloste, you are absolutely clueless.

A lot of the research that NASA does goes DIRECTLY into helping our planet. NASA performs extensive weather research, using satellites to study weather trends from above to help us understand how our planet is changing. You probably wouldn''t even be aware of global warming if it weren''t for NASA scientists and engineers.

NASA has also used an unmanned vehicle with heat seeking capabilites to find hot spots in the California wildfires to better direct the water drops by helicopters. These are just a few examples of how NASA directly helps all of us.

For those that whine about the money spent by NASA, you need to get a clue about what the National Budget really looks like.

NASA''s budget is ONLY 0.5% of the total national budget. That is half of one percent of the national budget. Even if you cancelled ALL NASA programs and gave that money to the Department of Education, the money is so low, it would only run the Dept. of Education for ONE WEEK. Doing away with NASA and using the money elsewhere is NEVER going to give us enough money to fix something else.

"The current space program serves no purpose. Just a few engineers that can''''''''t get a real job spending tax dollars on how to live in a tube. We need to be figuring out how to save our planet first."
Posted by kevinkkloste at 07:25 AM : Dec 01, 2008

[Keith Geddes]

Oh good... our UK news has said NOTHING about this at all.. I think Mombai has overshadowed everything. Unless there is risk involved.. and there still IS with the shuttle isnt there.. we dont seem interested.
I`ll just have to check the Nasa site out.

[yeswecan09]

Anyone, ever see Capricorn One? Just explain in 1500 or less, what we need in Outer Space? I mean, you can''''t survive there, without special apparatus. Space exporation??? Exploring for what? The earth has been polluted, water, air, soil... Now the want to mess up outer space. How many billions of dollar''''s have been wasted. Russia, was in the front, back in the 60''''s. Somehow, America by passed them and landed on the Moon. Can humans live out there? Can they move, without gear? In other words, what is the point? Other than viewpoint, advantage with other countries? Being in outer space, does something to our bodies... We weren''''t intended to be there. Why go there?
*****
That easy to answer -- I want to know what is out there!

I love the fact we keep finding water on planets (and moons) and with that comes the possibility of life. Imagine if you were the person who was directly involved with finding a new life form never found on this planet.

You could write your own book and retire painfully rich.

[ibzjem]

The current space program serves no purpose. Just a few engineers that can''''t get a real job spending tax dollars on how to live in a tube. We need to be figuring out how to save our planet first.

Posted by kevinkkloste at 07:25 AM : Dec 01, 2008

What if people thought that way about medicine. Ages ago, when people died, if we just said, "they''re dead. they serve no purpose." we would not know anything about human anatomy and how to treat any kind of disease, illness or injury. This mindset bothers me greatly. Now is not the time to stifle innovation. If anything, we need more if we are to solve these problems we''ve created.

[earache4]

Did they see the missing tool bag on the way down?

[zietzke-2009]

A great endeavor !! Pun intended !

Space is the last great frontier. We should be putting much more into this program. This could replace worthless military spending. The Industrial military complex should be converted into space exploration, with bases on the moon and eventually travelling to Mars. Guess what ? This will create jobs and opportunities here on Earth...Yes, a novel concept jobs and opportunites....

NASA needs to stop being so selfish with regards to PUBLIC participaton in these projects.

The people who pay for this ( Tax Payers ) need to be
more involved. Russia is offering paying passengers a ride of a life time...as a result, more human interest and involvement in these projects.

It will take human interest and excitement in order to keep this alive...Come on NASA ! Be smart, INVOLVE EVERYDAY PEOPLE IN THESE PROJECTS....The tax payers will better support your efforts, people will be employed and the benefits to man kind will be enormous !!

[louthesz9]

I was just coming out of a restaurant on Sherman Way and Corbin Ave. in SoCal when I heard these twin sonic booms. At first I thought some reckless driver bumped into another motorist at high speed and caused a major accident with fatalities. It was that loud. Other people thought the same way. But no, a space shuttle just flew by and broke the sound barrier.

[mcapek]

Its amazing how narrowminded many people are when it comes to the Space Program. They would rather pour money into the bottomless social support services.
I suspect they don''t have a clue what innovations and benefits the Space Program brought us over the years.

[hsinco-2009]

Personally. I want the Shuttles to be kept in an operational staus, whether they are flwn or not, until our next ship to the ISS is ready to fly. I don''t trust the Russians to give us access to space once the shuttles are retired.

IMO, it''s a Natioanl Security issue.

[janeyre-2009]

Anyone, ever see Capricorn One? Just explain in 1500 or less, what we need in Outer Space? I mean, you can''t survive there, without special apparatus. Space exporation??? Exploring for what? The earth has been polluted, water, air, soil... Now the want to mess up outer space. How many billions of dollar''s have been wasted. Russia, was in the front, back in the 60''s. Somehow, America by passed them and landed on the Moon. Can humans live out there? Can they move, without gear? In other words, what is the point? Other than viewpoint, advantage with other countries? Being in outer space, does something to our bodies... We weren''t intended to be there. Why go there?

[noaanhc]

downtowner97

If the 3 remaining shuttle survive until 2010 they will be going into museums

[downtowner97]

Brilliant idea alert! There are only about 10 shuttle flights left, and there are 3 shuttles. How about on the last 3 flights, we just leave the shuttles attached to the space station, and the astronauts catch a ride home in a Soyuz capsule? The space station would be a lot bigger, and astronauts and cosmonauts could use the shuttles as bedrooms, and the cargo bays for things like ping pong and horseshoes. Go ahead and use my idea, I don''t need to be paid.

What else are they going to do with those old shuttles, put them on a pole in the park?

[noaanhc]

I am so glad some people who have made comments on here were not the ones running things in the 1950s or
1960s or the US would never have gotten into space or even to the moon.You people have become so negative and bash our wondeful space program at every chance you get!!!!! So sad,so sickening what has happened to the attitudes of many people in this country over the last 40 years.Nobody cares about anything anymore.

[legacyabq]

Space is cool and stuff, but in other news...

30000 people starved to death today..

Surely a little technology could help us all live in peace and prosperity, instead of launching billion dollar toys?

[dykweed]

I hope that Russian ship doesn''t hit that tool bag. Bad day a''cumin.

[centerfall94]

When NASA can be truthful about what is really going on in space and near space, then it can be called news. For now it is science fiction and poorly done science fiction at that. Risking the lives of astronauts on the space shuttle is not an appropriate means to continue to withhold present day space technology from the general public. Let''''s have access to information and technology that our tax dollars have already paid for. Our country is in dire need of change. We need fresh ideas and hope. Acknowledging our present day technology will go a long way to improve the quality of life for the many, not just the few. Let''''s get off the kick of with holding technology for 30+ years. 3 years is enough time for black projects to work their devious deeds.

Posted by HETUP at 10:09 AM

One too many episodes of "Stargate" or a little bit of truth?

You decide.

[mrmeatspin]

This must be more Bush administration "fiscal responsibility".


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by rharrin1 at 12:42 PM : Nov 30, 2008
+ report abuse


*************

when you soil your underwear..do you blame bush??

at something more related..the sonic boom was pretty cool..

[caco58]

$100,000 tool bag?? I can come up with a $10,000 bag and disassemble the whole station.