A camera atop the Vehicle Assembly
Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., captured this view of the Shuttle
Landing Facility on Thursday. (Photo: NASA TV) Photo
Gallery>>>
Children holding posters and placards
pray for the safe return of U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams in the southern
Indian city of Hyderabad June 21, 2007. Williams is set to return home on
June 21 as space shuttle Atlantis successfully undocks from the
International Space Station. Williams had set an endurance record for the
longest spaceflight by a woman during her stint aboard the space station.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- NASA managers decided
to skip Thursday's two landing opportunities for shuttle Atlantis. Now hopes
turn to Friday's opportunities, said NASA TV.
Rain showers and a low cloud ceilings in the vicinity
of Kennedy Space Center in Florida forced flight controllers to wave off both
opportunities on Thursday.
"We looked as long and hard as we think is reasonable
and the rain showers and (cloud) ceilings are going to keep us from making it
into Florida today," NASA's mission control center radioed Atlantis' seven
astronauts.
Now the Atlantis crew will get an extra day in space
because of the persistent poor weather. The shuttle has four landing
opportunities available Friday, with the first at 2:16 p.m. EDT (1826 GMT) and
the second at 3:51 p.m. EDT (1951 GMT) at KSC, according to NASA mission control
center.
If Florida weather does not cooperate on Friday, two
opportunities are available at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Opportunities are also available Saturday, said NASA.
In this image from NASA TV, the shuttle
Atlantis is seen from a camera aboard the International Space Station as
the orbiter departs the station June 19, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. space shuttle
Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 10:42 a.m. EDT
(1442 GMT) Tuesday, wrapping up a 10-day joint operation, according to NASA TV.
"Houston (Mission Control Center) and ISS, Atlantis,
confirmed physical separation," shuttle commander Frederick Sturckow
reported. Full story
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