Space Shuttle Touches Down in Florida

[uppityperson]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16329396/

Discovery comes home after hours of debate over weather

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery ended its 13-day mission to the international space station with a Florida landing that was almost literally under a cloud until the final hour.

NASA managers debated the weather conditions at the shuttle's Kennedy Space Center home base as well as two backup landing sites — and passed up Friday's first opportunity for a Florida landing due to concerns about showers and clouds in the area.

However, the weather forecast turned more optimistic as the afternoon wore on. “The stuff that built up earlier has dissipated,” radioed chief astronaut Steve Lindsey, who checked out the weather at Kennedy in a shuttle training plane. That led the mission managers to give the green light for the day's second and last opportunity for a Florida landing....(more)

Breaking away from my usual cynical postings, good news, they landed safely.