NASA skips first shuttle landing opportunity

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., June 21 (Reuters) NASA skipped a first opportunity today to bring the US space shuttle Atlantis back to Earth because of bad weather in Florida, but the space agency could make another attempt later in the day.

Touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center's concrete runway had been scheduled for 2320 hrs IST but thick cloud cover dogged the space port all morning.

There will be a second opportunity for a landing at 0100 hrs IST but the shuttle flight directors may also opt to delay the landing until tomorrow because of thick clouds.

Flight directors decided not to staff the shuttle's backup landing site in California today, but if weather continues to prohibit a touchdown in Florida, both sites will be available for landing attempts tomorrow.

The shuttle has enough fuel and supplies to stay in space until Sunday.

Atlantis spent most of its 13-day mission at the International Space Station, where the crew installed a 17-tonne metal truss that included solar power panels to generate additional electricity for the half-finished 100 billion dollar complex.

REUTERS DS RAI2203