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Storm Forces Shuttle Home Early

Astronauts wrap up early to reach Houston before Hurricane Dean

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:48 PM CDT
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(Newser) – NASA managers worried about the wrath of Hurricane Dean have ordered shuttle Endeavour home a day earlier than planned, the AP reports. Astronauts wrapped up a space walk today and prepared for a trip that would leave tomorrow and land in Houston on Tuesday. One astronaut clearly saw the hurricane’s eye from 214 miles over the Caribbean: "Hooo, man, yeah, can't miss that," he said.

Houston says it was a tough call because Dean, now a savage category 4 storm, is headed for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico and may or may not hit Houston. Earlier this week they okay’d the shuttle's return trip without repairing a deep cut in its belly, saying the gash would not cause a Columbia-like breakup when re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, a portion of the International Space Station frames this view of the lower portion of Italy and a portion of Sicily, photographed by a STS-118 crewmember while Space Shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station, Tuesday Aug. 14, 2007....
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, a portion of the International Space Station frames this view of the lower portion of Italy and a portion of Sicily, photographed by a STS-118...   (Associated Press)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, an external stowage platform (ESP-3) is photographed in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station, Tuesday Aug. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/NASA)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, an external stowage platform (ESP-3) is photographed in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space...   (Associated Press)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, Astronaut Barbara R. Morgan, STS-118 mission specialist, pauses for a photo while working the controls on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station, Tuesday Aug. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/NASA)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, Astronaut Barbara R. Morgan, STS-118 mission specialist, pauses for a photo while working the controls on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle...   (Associated Press)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) robotic arm moves an external stowage platform (ESP-3) for a hand-off to the station's robotic arm (out of frame) while docked with the International Space Station, Tuesday Aug. 14, 2007. (AP...
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) robotic arm moves an external stowage platform (ESP-3) for a hand-off to the...   (Associated Press)
In this image from NASA TV the crews of the international space station and shuttle Endeavour hold a news conference on the international space station, Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. Space station crew on the front row, left to right Clayton Anderson, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov. Shuttle crew on the...
In this image from NASA TV the crews of the international space station and shuttle Endeavour hold a news conference on the international space station, Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. Space station crew on the...   (Associated Press)
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, Space Shuttle Endeavour, docked to the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station, is backdropped by a blue and white Earth during the STS-118 mission's third planned session of extravehicular activity Wednesday Aug. 15, 2007. The shuttle's Canadian-built Remote...
In this image made available Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 by NASA, Space Shuttle Endeavour, docked to the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station, is backdropped by a blue and white Earth during...   (Associated Press)
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NASA • storm • astronauts • space shuttle • International Space Station • Endeavour • space flight • hurricane • Hurricane Dean • space shuttle landing

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