Endeavour makes another stop

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Endeavour, attached to the fuselage of a Boeing 747, made a stop Thursday in Louisiana en route to Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

After a Wednesday night stop at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base at Fort Worth, Texas, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ferry flight team decided on a second stopover before giving the go-ahead for the piggy-backed shuttle to return to the Kennedy spaceport.

The modified 747 aircraft took off from Fort Worth at 12:08 p.m. EST Thursday, heading to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

The Shreveport (La.) Times said the shuttle arrived piggy-back at Barksdale. The Times said NASA representatives would not say whether the shuttle and the 747 would remain overnight or simply refuel.

NASA said the flight plan was modified because of an advancing cold front moving toward the space center, preceded by high winds and storms. That would not allow a smooth flight or provide good landing conditions.

Forecasters said crosswinds at Kennedy were expected to subside by the time the carrier aircraft with Endeavour arrives there after 2 p.m. EST Friday.