You wanted us in Florida? But frankly, the weather's probably a lot nicer in Florida. You know what I mean? The right street address, but, oh, oh, in that state? Sorry. KESTENBAUM: It's sort of like a big party where the guests have gone to the wrong address. INSKEEP: So now there on the ground where you are, what's the feeling? What's the mood? It's not really something they're planning they're going to have to use. There is a possibility that they could land at White Sands in New Mexico, but I think that's just something they want to have in their back pocket. And the weather there has been described as excellent, so that's their plan now. KESTENBAUM: The first option for a landing in California is about 8-is at 8:12 Eastern time, and the second opportunity is at 9:47 Eastern time. INSKEEP: Well, so what are the options here? Let's just talk through the rest of the morning as we know it now. It's can you feel with certainty what it's going to be like? So the plan is now to go for California. So it's not just what the weather's like now. You know, part of the problem is that even if it clears up, they have to predict what the weather's going to be like in an hour, you know, when the shuttle comes down. And they would-just waved off the second one because there are storms with-about 15 miles off shore. And they waved off the first landing opportunity pretty early. NASA looks in sort of a 30-mile circle around the runway and they had storms and-off the shore they were watching. You know, the NASA buildings-the vehicle assembly building is gigantic, and it looks teeny when you see big lightning bolts sort of off in the distance behind it.

It was actually quite spectacular because the ground is so flat here.

KESTENBAUM: Well, you know, the-earlier this morning there was lightning. INSKEEP: So it's been a difficult morning. NPR's David Kestenbaum is at the Kennedy Space Center where he's been waiting for the last couple of days for Discovery to arrive. INSKEEP: Bad weather in Florida means the shuttle will now try to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California or possibly, we're told, at White Sands, New Mexico. Unidentified Man: All right, Eileen, how do you feel about a beautiful, clear night with a breeze down the runway in the high desert of California.Ĭommander EILEEN COLLINS (Discovery): We are ready for whatever we need to do. Here's how ground control alerted the shuttle commander, Eileen Collins.

Just minutes ago, NASA officials decided against trying to land the shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Nasa space shuttle landing schedule