LOCAL : Shuttle Called Home Day Early

SPACE CENTER, Houston — NASA said it is bringing the space shuttle Columbia home from its astronomy mission tonight, a day early, to avoid rain at the desert landing site.

The mission earlier had been threatened by a clogged waste water line, but the astronauts found a way to live with the problem Sunday. But weather proved to be the determining factor, and shuttle managers decided this morning they would not risk waiting until Tuesday to bring Columbia back.

After receiving the news, the seven astronauts quickly began preparing for a 9:54 p.m. PST landing at Edwards Air Force Base. The forecast Tuesday at Edwards held the possibility of rain, while today’s forecast was much more favorable.

“You’ve all had a fantastic mission, but all good things have got to come to an end and you’re coming home tonight,” Mission Control’s Story Musgrave told the crew.