Space shuttle Discovery aims for Thursday evening homecoming, may need to dodge orbiting junk

Space shuttle may need to dodge debris on way home

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA is considering whether the space shuttle Discovery needs to dodge a piece of space junk before heading for a scheduled landing back on Earth.

Mission Control says the debris apparently came off the linked shuttle and international space station during a spacewalk Saturday. Experts do not know what the piece is.

The shuttle is scheduled to land Thursday evening but thunderstorms could keep it in orbit an extra day or two.

If Discovery skips Florida on Thursday, NASA will consider the backup touchdown site in California as early as Friday.

Discovery spent more than a week at the space station. Returning astronaut Timothy Kopra lived there nearly two months, while Buzz Lightyear logged 15 months. The doll will head to Walt Disney World after the flight.