Tuesday, August 9 2005 15:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Houston: Stormy weather at the Kennedy Space Center near here has forced National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to change the landing site of space shuttle Discovery to Edwards Air Force Base in California. The next landing opportunity for Discovery, which has seven astronauts onboard, is at 1742 IST at Edwards Air Force Base, a NASA statement said.

If that option is chosen, mission Commander Eileen Collins and pilot James Kelly will fire orbital jets at 1636 IST, which would trigger Discovery's return to earth.

The jets will continue to fire for three-minutes slowing the spacecraft, which is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 340 kms.

"We are ready for whatever we need to do," Collins told Mission Control after they cancelled the second landing at the Kennedy Space Center here.

"The shuttle has been refocused towards a landing in California (1212 GMT)," Mission Control said.

Earlier, Discovery was given the all clear to proceed with a steering check of the orbital manoeuvring system, or 'gimbal check.'

NASA has given the go ahead to make the landing preparations and asked astronauts to consume large amounts of fluids necessary for re-entry as body fluids are lost in the zero gravity environment in space.

This will be the 50th shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base.