
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 11, 1994                   TAG: 9402110057
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.                                LENGTH: Short

INCLEMENT WEATHER THREATENS SHUTTLE'S FLA. LANDING PLANS

Discovery's crew packed Thursday to come home after a mission that made history with its U.S.-Russian partnership but achieved mixed results on the science front.

Bad weather threatened to disrupt NASA's landing plans. Forecasters were calling for possible rain, low clouds and high winds at the Kennedy Space Center, any one of which could prevent Discovery from landing there as scheduled at 12:44 p.m. today.

Flight directors said they would consider sending Discovery to Edwards Air Force Base in California later in the afternoon if necessary. Another option would be to keep the space shuttle up an extra day, but only if meteorologists thought the Florida weather would improve by Saturday.

During the past week, the crew completed its chores inside Spacehab, the small, commercial laboratory in Discovery's cargo bay.

The crew also finished all four joint U.S.-Russian experiments. Researchers from both countries will share the results of those medical and radiation measurements and Earth observations.

But the crew achieved only two of its three planned releases. The biggest, most important one - deployment of the Wake Shield Facility - failed because of problems with the satellite.

by CNB