Iowa astronaut could be coming home

Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson may finally be coming back to earth after a long assignment aboard the International Space Station. Whitson’s first adventure in space started back in June when the shuttle Endeavour took the Mount Ayr native and her two Russian crewmates to the I-S-S, orbiting some 240 miles up. As the station’s first science officer, she’s spent the last five months running experiments including: human life sciences, microgravity, space product development and the longterm effects of being in orbit. After a few delays in Florida, Endeavour is slated for liftoff again tomorrow in a window between six and ten P.M. Central time. If all goes as scheduled, Whitson and crew will be back at Kennedy Space Center on December 3rd, just two days shy of six months in space.