Shuttle Atlantis Landing Delayed; President Obama Could Announce Supreme Court Choice This Week
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING on this Memorial Day weekend. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.</s>ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning,</s>T.J. HOLMES: Good morning.</s>CHO: Good morning, everybody. I'm Alina Cho. Betty has the morning off. Thanks so much for starting your day with us. And take a look at this. It is what Memorial Day is all about. You are looking live at Arlington National Cemetery on a weekend set aside to honor men and women in uniform and those who paid the ultimate price.</s>HOLMES: Also this morning, an emotional mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi -- the first black mayor of that town that was once a hotbed of racial violence in the civil rights era. Also, developing, a moving target early this morning for the Shuttle Atlantis. It was supposed to be re-entering the earth's atmosphere right about now. But, astronauts are being told to take another lap around the earth. Bad weather forced NASA to scrub this morning's first landing attempt. There is another window for landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a little more than 2 1/2 hours from now. Edwards Air Force Base in California may be the better option at this point. But it would cost a little bit of money. It costs about $2 million to piggyback the shuttle back to Florida from out there in California. NASA spokesman George Diller is joining me now on the phone to talk about these options. Sir, give us the very latest update about the next window of opportunity to land the shuttle.</s>GEORGE DILLER, NASA SPOKESMAN (via telephone): We're right on the edge of making a decision whether or not we're going to try to land here today. The odds just do not appear to be in our favor for that so if that decision is made very shortly and it appears that it will be, then we have to decide do we want to stay up another day and try again tomorrow or do we want to go out to Edwards Air Force base today? We could stay up and try again tomorrow but the weather does not look all that better tomorrow here at the cape. It might be a little better. So that means have we got anything to gain by staying up another day? So right now that's what they're doing is talking about all of that to decide which of the options that they're going to pick here very shortly.</s>HOLMES: So it sounds like you all are about to make a decision to really just scrap Florida for the day and then California would be the only option for today.</s>DILLER: If they decide that we're going to land today, it appears likely that that's the way it would go because the weather here in Florida has just been very, very wet. It's been monsoon and we see it shaping up again here today to be something like that. We have thunderstorms right offshore. We got rain showers developing over the land not too far from the shuttle landing facility, so we don't see a whole lot to gain by trying to land here today. They haven't called it off yet, but it certainly doesn't look like the forecast is going to favor an attempt here. So now they're trying to see, well, is it going to be any better tomorrow? It means it would be worthwhile to stay up another day.</s>HOLMES: And sir, explain to our viewers one more time here, just how much you all essentially hate having to land in California.</s>DILLER: Well, California -- the good thing about it is that the weather is almost always good plus they've got an infinite amount of room out there in the middle of the desert. But on the other hand it means that it costs us about a week's time to go out there, to ferry the shuttle back on the 747 and that costs us a million dollars or more to do that. And we're trying to get "Atlantis" ready for its next mission this fall. So while we built in that time into the schedule, it really means that there's a lot of extra effort involved to bring the shuttle back and it's not without risk either. But we would certainly rather land here because we would like to have the Hubble space telescope hardware that we've brought back here available to take out of the payload bay.</s>HOLMES: And essentially, sir, is it nothing left, if you will, for the astronauts to do in terms of mission. They're essentially just hanging tight right there in a holding pattern and circling the earth.</s>DILLER: That's what they're doing, but all indications are that they are enjoying that. They really do like to have a little bit of extra time to just sort of relax and look out the window and they've been taking advantage of that. And they certainly have been able to see all the bad weather over Florida so there's no question there that they know why we're waving them off. And we've had over 16 inches of rain here in the last three days.</s>HOLMES: All right. And the last thing, I'm going to let you go but, again, the next official attempt time or landing possibilities, time wise, would be what?</s>DILLER: At 10:54 this morning here at the cape if we land here.</s>HOLMES: All right. And then after that?</s>DILLER: That would be it for KSC -- I take that back. We do have one more at 12:33, but I don't think they're considering that actively.</s>HOLMES: OK. And the first option at Edwards is what?</s>DILLER: Edwards would be at 10:45 this morning Eastern time, that would be 7:45 Pacific time.</s>HOLMES: All right. Well, sir, we are watching closely. We know we'll probably be talking to you all again plenty this morning but good luck with everything. Thank you for your time. We'll talk to you here soon.</s>DILLER: All right. We're right on the edge of a decision here in the next few minutes I think.</s>HOLMES: Thank you, sir.</s>DILLER: You bet.</s>CHO: We certainly hope he comes back to tell what's that decision is. As we said and you just heard, two more windows of opportunity to land at the Kennedy Space Center today. The next one being in the 10:00 hour. Of course there's another opportunity at Edwards and then there is always tomorrow. CNN is on the ground at the Kennedy Space Center. Joining me now on the phone is CNN journalist John Couwels. So John, we just heard from NASA there, monsoon-like conditions. What is it like where you are right now?</s>JOHN COUWELS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the clouds are completely overcast. There was a -- I actually can see the sun for the first time which was not seen in central Florida for the last six days. It has been raining constantly, particularly here on the east coast along the Daytona, Cocoa Beach, up to Jacksonville. Right now the weather is completely overcast everywhere. A little peek in the clouds with the sun coming through and NASA announced a few minutes ago that administrator Lauren Knight (ph) is in a decision group discussion on whether Kennedy Space Center is going -- will be a go for their next attempt at 10:54. The astronauts are suited up so it's a good indication that NASA wants to bring the shuttle home today. Weather conditions do not improve for Sunday or -- Sunday is particularly worse here on the east coast of central Florida.</s>CHO: So they're looking at potentially California, Edwards Air Force base, which isn't the first choice obviously. But as we heard from NASA the weather always better. But they seem to be very, very close to making a decision on what they're going to do with the shuttle today so you should stay with CNN. But, John, just remind our viewers this was a very important mission for the shuttle "Atlantis" involving some fixes to the Hubble space telescope and so forth. So give us a sense of what these astronauts have been doing over the past several days.</s>COUWELS: The shuttle crew had gone and had been training for years to go back to the Hubble space telescope to service it for the fifth and final time. Hubble space telescope has lasted double the amount of time in its life expectancy and it was a golden opportunity for them to go back in to install new batteries</s>CHO: All right. John Couwels, we thank you so much for your perspective, giving us some insight on what they've been doing the past several days as we look at these pictures. Of course it's interesting to note, T.J., as you were saying earlier when you were talking to NASA, that we always think these astronauts want to get home after a long trip. They were saying they want to enjoy the view out there for a couple more days, at least another day if they can, which isn't such a bad thing. They don't get up there too often, right.</s>HOLMES: Been up there since May 11 and the work is done. So this is almost that down time, I guess, at the end of a long day's work, if you will. They just want to check it out. But the weather a huge problem.</s>CHO: That's right. Always the biggest factor when you're talking about a shuttle landing. Reynolds Wolf, of course, is watching that part of it for us. It's not looking good in Florida, is it?</s>REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It really isn't. They were talking about seeing some scattered showers off the coast and that has been the situation. We're seeing the rain is falling right near Kennedy Space Center, right along Titersville (ph), even in the Banana River and along the coast. Showers continue to fall and hopefully things will improve for the launch, or rather for the landing, later on today. Hopefully, it will happen. We often get so caught up in the launch and the launch is spectacular but the landing is just amazing. When the shuttle lands it comes in anywhere between 213 to 226 miles an hour and the landing strip at first glance just seems like landing at any airport but you have to remember coming in at high speed the landing is going to be different. When a regular say commercial airliner lands, it comes into the glide slope around 3 degrees. But for the shuttle itself, well it comes in around 20 degrees. It's a tremendous difference. So the whole purpose of that is to allow this thing to slow down and just the landing strip itself is 15,000 feet long. For comparison's sake say at LAX, the longest strip they have is right at 12,091 feet. We're talking about a much different landing strip and of course the speed is so different and when that shuttle comes right across Florida you hear not one but two sonic booms. Remember, they have got one chance, once they commit and they're going down, they have to land. It can't just touch and go and take off and go around for another time. Once they make that commitment to land, it is full bore. It is an amazing thing to see and it's great pilotship (ph) and it's going to be fun to watch this land. Hopefully won't land at Edwards. Of course we talked about the issues they have there and the expenditures, but still an amazing thing to see regardless of where it decides to touch down, where they decide to land and so amazing to watch. Back to you guys.</s>CHO: I've never been to a landing. I've been to a launch.</s>WOLF: They're so cool. They are so cool.</s>CHO: I've been to a night launch and, boy, that sky just lights up. It is incredible.</s>WOLF: A lot of pageantry too it. It's an incredible thing, earth shattering, earth shaking.</s>CHO: It is. Reynolds, thanks.</s>HOLMES: We will turn to the president now. President Obama reportedly using this holiday weekend to mull over his choice for the Supreme Court. Sources telling CNN a final choice could be announced as early as next Tuesday. CNN's Elaine Quijano joining us now live from the White House, Elaine, always good to see you. There's been a lot of speculation, conjecture, just flat-out guessing about who and about when. What do we know right now?</s>ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that he is closer, T.J., to announcing a Supreme Court pick. Here is what we know. A top aide to the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent out an e-mail to Democrats saying get ready. President Obama's Supreme Court pick could be coming, could be coming as early as next week. Now this is, of course, a panel that ought to know. This is the committee that's going to be handling the nomination for the person that the president chooses to replace retiring Justice David Souter. We know that this weekend could be decision time for President Obama. A top aide to the president says he is mulling things over right now and he's going to be able to do that far away from reporters. The president is at Camp David this weekend. So that means not only can he think in private, if he wants to meet with any potential candidates he'll be able to do so away from reporters and away from cameras. So, T.J., again, bottom line the latest buzz now is that the Supreme Court pick, an announcement could come as early as next week.</s>HOLMES: Let's just say what if here, Elaine. If we don't get this pick by Tuesday, besides reporters going crazy, pulling their hair out for another week or so, what exactly happens? What happens to the process then if we don't get it in the next few days?</s>QUIJANO: Well, if it doesn't happen in the next few days, then conceivably this could slip to early or even possibly mid-June and that's because in a couple of weeks, President Obama is heading overseas on an international trip. He's going to Egypt and he'll be visiting Europe and so there really is a great deal of pressure to get this announcement out there and to get the ball rolling basically on the confirmation process before then. Aides are hoping that they could get the confirmation hearings started in July because Congress is heading out for recess in August. So if this thing slips and it slips, let's say, to September, that could really jeopardize the chances, T.J., of getting a Supreme Court pick in place before the Supreme Court begins its next session in October</s>T.J. HOLMES: All right, Elaine Quijano from the White House this morning with what we do know. Elaine, thank you so much.</s>QUIJANO: Sure.</s>CHO: Announcing his Supreme Court choice would definitely be a high point in the week ahead. So here's a look at the president's schedule so far. On Monday President Obama comes back from Camp David to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns, a long tradition. Later in the week, he's going to head west for a pair of fund-raisers in Las Vegas for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and then in Los Angeles for the Democratic National Committee, the DNC. Then it's back to Washington on Thursday for a White House meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.</s>HOLMES: We're going to turn to an effort to help young people get a handle on their future. Josh Levs following this for us this morning.</s>CHO: And looking for a cheap weekend getaway or during the week after we worked the weekend, we're going to have some tips just ahead.