Space shuttle set to land after risky repair job

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2007

CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) — Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery prepared Wednesday for a return to Earth, after a 15-day trip to the International Space Station that included a risky, unplanned in-space repair job, NASA said.

Just before 1300 GMT, the astronauts began running checks with mission control in Houston of all systems ahead of descent.

George Diller, a spokesman for Kennedy Space Center in Florida, said Discovery systems were in order and weather conditions for the landing looked good. It was scheduled for 1:02 pm (1802 GMT) at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Commander Pam Melroy will activate two small motors on the Discovery for 1.58 minutes which will start...