Discovery Detours Florida, Touches Down In California

Stormy weather in Florida prompted the U.S. space shuttle Discovery to land at the Edwards Air Force Base in California instead of at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

Emerging from the space shuttle, Discovery Commander Rick “C.J.” Sturckow announced that he and six other astronauts were happy to be back after a 14-day mission to bring supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station.

The shuttle was supposed to land in Florida Thursday but postponed it to Friday due to unfavorable weather condition. But a rainy and cloudy Florida sky on Friday prompted Mission Control to advise landing in the backup touchdown site in California, which had pristine weather.

Meanwhile, the astronauts will fly to the Johnson Space Center in Houston Saturday while the Discovery will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center by a modified 747 after a week.

[Image: NASA]

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