Storms Force Space Shuttle to Remain in Orbit Extra Day
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Thunderstorms kept space shuttle Discovery in orbit for an 11th day Monday, dragging out a mission that had already been extended a day to allow more experiments.
NASA said it would try to bring Discovery home this afternoon.
The six astronauts already had completed all their tasks, so they had nothing to do but relax and gaze at Earth 150 miles below.
During the flight, the shuttle bounced laser beams off clouds to study the atmosphere, and two astronauts tested a Buck Rogers-style jet pack in the first untethered spacewalk in 10 years. The crew also released and captured a sun-gazing satellite and measured the damaging effects of jet exhaust in orbit.
NASA could have sent Discovery to Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday but figured the weather in Florida might improve. Instead, it got worse.
More storms were expected at Kennedy Space Center today, which could mean a last-minute detour to California. NASA prefers Kennedy over California because bringing the shuttle back to Florida atop a jumbo jet takes a week and costs about $1 million.
The shuttle has enough fuel to stay up until at least Wednesday.
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