Friday's Landing Strategy

Capcom Eric Boe informed the crew that if weather looks unfavorable for Friday’s first Kennedy Space Center landing opportunity, the entry team will focus early on the 2nd landing opportunity. If weather prevents landing on the 2nd Kennedy opportunity, Boe said the shuttle will land Friday at Edwards Air Force Base.

Friday Landing Opportunities in Florida and California

Mission Control has called off Thursday's final space shuttle landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center due to unstable weather conditions.

Two more Discovery landing opportunities are available Friday at Kennedy Space Center. The first begins with a de-orbit burn at 4:41 p.m. EDT and ends with landing at 5:48 p.m. The second opportunity begins with a de-orbit burn at 6:17 p.m. with a landing at 7:23 p.m.

However, the Florida weather forecast is not any better than Thursday's. For that reason, Entry Flight Director Richard Jones has decided to call up Edwards Air Force Base in California as an alternate landing site for Friday.

The first landing opportunity in California begins with a de-orbit burn at 7:47 p.m. with a landing at 8:53 p.m. The final landing opportunity of the day would start with a de-orbit burn at 9:23 p.m. ending with a landing at 10:28 p.m.