Discovery streaks toward California landing

Discovery and its crew of seven streaked toward a California landing today on the first shuttle re-entry since Coumbia’s tragic return, after thunderstorms in Florida prevented the spacecraft from returning to its home base.

The instability of the weather at Cape Canaveral, and storms popping up near the landing strip there prompted Nasa to turn to its back-up site in the Mojave Desert. Yesterday, low clouds prevented a return to the cape.

“How do you feel about a beautiful clear night with a breeze down the runway in the high desert of California?” Mission Control radioed after giving up on Florida.

“We are ready for whatever we need to do,” replied commander Eileen Collins.

With that final green light, Collins and her co-pilot, James Kelly, slowed Discovery’s speed enough to drop the shuttle out of orbit about an hour before touchdown. Landing was scheduled for 5.12am local time (1.12 Irish time), well before sunrise.

The inherently dangerous ride down through the atmosphere – more anxiety-ridden than normal because of what happened to Columbia two and a half years ago – was going to skip most of the continental US this time.

Discovery was following a course that would take it over the Pacific and into Southern California.

Nasa officials had said they would adjust the flight path so the shuttle would skirt Los Angeles, because of new public safety considerations by Nasa in the wake of the Columbia accident.

The detour to the opposite coast was a big disappointment for the astronauts’ families, who had been waiting to greet their loved ones in Cape Canaveral. Their reunion was put on hold until Wednesday, when they all planned to meet in Houston.

Nasa’s top officials also had gathered at Cape Canaveral to welcome the crew home.

“There’s nothing more that I would love to see than it here so everybody here could be a part of this. But it’s not going to be,” said shuttle programme manager Bill Parsons. “I want it to be safe, wherever the safest place is to go.”

Added Bill Readdy, an ex-astronaut who heads Nasa’s spaceflight office: “All you have to do is look around and see the flashes of thunder and lightning. Obviously, Mother Nature doesn’t want us to land at the cape today.”