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The Situation Room

Discovery Lands In Florida; President Bush To Hold High-Level Huddle Tomorrow At Camp David

Aired December 22, 2006 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.
Happening now, the Discovery astronauts are headed home on the always dangerous return leg of their shuttle mission. But with bad weather across much of the country, can they find a safe place to land?

They're due to touchdown in about a half an hour or so. We're going to have live coverage right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

A generation ago, protesters burned their draft cards during an unpopular war. Now, as the Bush administration weighs a bigger military, could it actually bring back the draft?

As one top Bush administration official puts it, "would society benefit?"

And tunnel terror -- could a small bomb smuggled onto a train be enough to flood the commuter tunnels between New York and New Jersey in just a matter of hours?

I'm Wolf Blitzer.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

The shuttle astronauts are headed home, but for a while today, it looked as if home would be wherever they could hang their helmets. NASA scrubbed original plans to land Shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida because of bad weather. That had mission controllers scrambling to arrange backup sites in California and New Mexico.

But now, Florida is back on and it's supposed to land about 30 minutes from now. The seven member shuttle crew is led by 50-year-old former Air Force test pilot Mark Polansky; flight engineers Sunita Williams is staying behind on the International Space Station; while Thomas Reiter, a German from the European Space Agency, is hitching a ride home with Discovery after five months on the space station.

For more now on Discovery's delicate and dangerous return trip, let's go to CNN's John Zarrella.

He's joining us from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- John, update our viewers on how this decision was made.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, what happened was that about an hour or so ago, we really thought that it was going to be going to Edwards Air Force Base in California. It looked really well. They were programming in Edwards as the possible landing site. The weather out there looked good. The crosswinds had come down.

Well, then, at the very last minute, the crosswinds at Edwards went out of bounds again and mission managers in Houston decided to give it a go here at the Kennedy Space Center again. The -- Steve Lindsey, the shuttle pilot flying the shuttle training aircraft, which simulates the shuttle's landings, was flying here at the Cape and said that rain showers to the south of the area appeared to be diminishing.

At that time, NASA went ahead and said OK, let's try for the Kennedy Space Center. And at 4:26 Eastern time, they gave the go ahead for the de-orbit burn, which means they're coming home to Kennedy. They don't have any choice now in the matter.

And, in fact, right now, as we speak, they are going through what's called entry interface. And that's where the vehicle is literally bumping up against the Earth's atmosphere.

This is the time of maximum aerodynamic heating on the vehicle, the most critical and dangerous time, as the shuttle re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. We expect, Wolf, that in less than 30 minutes now, the Shuttle Discovery will be coming overhead.

We're not sure how much we're going to see of it. It is very cloudy here and a very thick cloud cover here. And so it may be not before it actually gets right on top of us before we actually see the vehicle.

But a planned landing here at 5:32 Eastern time. Again, less than 30 minutes from now. No turning back. They're coming to Kennedy. No choice in the matter -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we'll watch it every step of the way. And as soon as we actually see it come through the clouds, we'll bring that live to our viewers, John.

Thanks very much.

John will stay on the scene for us at the Kennedy Space Center.

Meantime, NASA is keeping the world updated on the latest shuttle developments online.

Let's bring in our Internet report, Abbi Tatton -- Abbi, what are you seeing on this landing right now?

ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Well, we're actually being a fly on the wall to the deliberations going on at NASA with the landing blog. They do this every time there's a landing or a launch. And you see minute by minute what's going on. It was at 4:20 when Discovery was told "we're pretty confident we are going to keep you clear of clouds and rain." That was after a lot of back and forth about the weather there.

All seven of the potential flight tracks at the three different sites have been posted online. Now we know that the one it's going to be using. Shuttle Discovery approaching right now. We're about less than 30 minutes away and the landing blog is going to keep you updated in the final stretch -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Abbi, thank you for that.

Let's get the latest on the weather conditions that clearly are impacting this shuttle landing.

Our meteorologist, Reynolds Wolf, is watching all of this at the CNN Weather Center.

I know this is not, by any means, perfect conditions for such a sensitive and dangerous landing -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. What you want is you want pristine conditions in about a 30 mile circle around the landing site out at Cape Canaveral. And it is pretty good within that circle. But just outside, a little bit to the south and to the southwest, we're seeing some thunderstorms develop; also, even more activity forming up to the northwest.

We've got wind out of the south and southeast around 20 miles per hour. But, again, this is now moving through the Earth's atmosphere like a meteorite with wings and it's an upward flight. It's a glide. So they have no other choice, at this point, and it's going to be interesting to see how they fare. I'm sure they'll do just fine.

BLITZER: And the weather conditions over the next half an hour or so are basically going to be -- there's not much change expected between now and 5:32, shall we say?

WOLF: Not much. What I've been watching here at the Weather Center, just these cells just to the south and the southwest, these are moving toward Cape Canaveral as we speak. That's what's going to be really interesting, because I'm thinking that in the next 30 minutes, we're going to have some of these break into that 30-mile circle.

BLITZER: And they're supposed...

WOLF: So...

BLITZER: They're supposed to come in from which direction?

WOLF: You know, to the best of my knowledge, I think they come in from the west. I'm not 100 percent sure on that. I should have checked my notes on that one. But I do think they come in from the west.

But the thing that's amazing about this that I think people have got to remember is this is unpowered. It's not like being in a commercial airliner where you can fly around and look for a good spot and then make the landing. They've got to go in at that time. They've got to go in. And it's an amazing sight to behold.

But their pilot, Mark Polansky, is one of the world's best. And I have no doubt they're going to be just fine.

BLITZER: Yes, and I think you're right, they do come in from the west. They come across the Florida Panhandle and they...

WOLF: Indeed.

BLITZER: ... and then they come right across the state, the peninsula, and they land at Cape Canaveral at the Kennedy Space Center there.

Let me bring back John Zarrella just to double check on that -- John, they come in from the west, the Space Shuttle Discovery, is that right?

ZARRELLA: Well, the landing facility here is a north-south runway. So ultimately they're going to be. But, yes, they do come in from the west. The actual path today is going to take them across Mexico, then over southern Texas, across Louisiana -- in fact, I think very, very close, you know, over New Orleans, then through Alabama, Mississippi and right across the Florida Panhandle. And if it's clear there, folks might well be able to see the shuttle streaking overhead in the Florida Panhandle.

And then they'll make a beeline right into the Kennedy Space Center, do a big curve around, swing around and then come down and land. I believe they're going to be landing from north to south here today, although I'm not quite clear on that. They were checking both ends of the runway earlier -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And walk us through what happens once it lands. I assume there are family members gathered there where you are.

Who's there to receive all of these astronauts, seven astronauts, on board?

ZARRELLA: Well, we were told that the family members did stay here at the Kennedy Space Center. They didn't go out to California or to White Sands. So that the family members are here.

There are certainly, you know, dignitaries that are here.

Now, I know you can't see it behind me now, but the shuttle training aircraft, the STA, piloted by the shuttle's chief pilot, is flying overhead right now again. Again, continuing non-stop, real time data back to Houston on the weather conditions here, not that they can do anything about it. The shuttle is coming back here one way or another.

But, yes, the dignitaries are here and the families, we were told, of the astronauts are here.

Once they get on the ground, Wolf, it'll be about 25 minutes before the hatch is opened and then it would be about an hour in total after landing before the astronauts actually come out of the shuttle, egress from the shuttle and maybe do a walk around of the vehicle and maybe say a few words.

So it'll be a good hour after landing before we actually see them -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, John, thanks very much.

I want you to stand by. We're going to be coming back to you. We're going to watch this landing as it occurs, about 20 minutes or so from now, maybe a little bit earlier, we'll begin to see the Space Shuttle Discovery come in. And once we see it, you'll see it, as well.

Weather, by the way, isn't only impacting the shuttle landing. It's also preventing thousands of holiday travelers from getting to their destinations on time or even getting their destinations at all.

Our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, is joining us now live from the Denver International Airport, which just, a few hours ago, Rob, reopened. But it's packed. It's a mess over there, isn't it?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is a mess. There are some signs of encouragement the last hour. We've seen some lines shrink a little bit. But it's still nutty as far as how long some of these lines are.

We'll give you a little tour of where we stand and kind of explain the process.

This line right here, for lucky people that have tickets on airplanes tonight, they've got to check their bags and they've got to check in. That line is about an hour-and-a-half. That has shrunk, from what we can tell, the past hour or so.

Now, you're looking at security. That's about an hour-and-a- half, unless you've got extra screening. Then it's two hours. But those people are probably the happiest people to have a two hour wait through security in a long time, because they know they're getting on an airplane. They know they're going to take off to go somewhere, preferably their originally planned destination, later on tonight.

Now, an area that's a little bit more frustrating are those people who had flights that were canceled and they're out of luck. They don't have a seat. They don't have a reservation. They don't have anything. They need to be rebooked or fly standby on another flight. And that's this line, which that's shrunk a little bit, too, but this line, when it was up to me, was three-and-a-half hours. So now maybe it's three hours and 15 minutes just to talk to a reservations agent, just to try to get you routed somewhere.

We spent a little time with a woman who was trying to get to Jacksonville, Florida. Four stops is the best she could do, flying tonight to Dulles, staying overnight in Dulles and then three stops to get to Jacksonville and she felt lucky. So to give you an idea of how frustrating it is for some people. Fifty-two square miles is what Denver International Airport encompasses. That's a greater square mileage than Denver proper. It's a big airport. That's a big advantage when you've got a lot of planes coming in and out on a normal day. But when a big storm hits, it causes some huge problems.

You can imagine how much square tarmac they have to clear just to get these runways up and going. But four expected to be open. Right now there are two, Wolf. Four expected to be open within the next three hours, all flying the same direction and there will be delays, no doubt, but they're going to try to get as many people out tonight as they possibly can so that tomorrow this place doesn't look nearly as messy as it is today.

But there's definitely going to be a long wait. Some folks, Wolf, may not get home for Christmas. That's the sad part of it -- back to you.

BLITZER: Yes, I think it is sad, especially this time of the year.

That woman who's got to go to Jacksonville from Denver, four stops, if she's checking luggage, she should never expect to see that luggage, at least in the short-term, because you know that luggage is not going to show up in Jacksonville, if she makes it to Jacksonville.

MARCIANO: You're right.

BLITZER: Thanks very much for that, Rob.

We'll get back to you.

MARCIANO: All right.

BLITZER: Jack Cafferty has the day off.

Still to come right here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we'll continue to track Shuttle Discovery as NASA brings it home for the holidays. The shuttle right now about 2,400 miles away from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It's now 45 miles high. We're watching it. Landing scheduled in less than 20 minutes or so. We're going to bring it to you live.

And we're also going to show you what the government is planning to do that has some people wondering if it's thinking about bringing back the draft, the military draft.

Plus, my interview with Senator Bill Nelson. He's just back from meeting Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad against White House wishes.

That's coming up right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Despite not perfect weather conditions, the Space Shuttle Discovery now getting ready to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, about 15 minutes or so from now.

We're going to watch it every step of the way. As soon as we see it, you'll see it, as well. Stay with us for that.

Other important news, though, that we're following.

Weighing new options for Iraq -- President Bush will hold a high level huddle tomorrow at Camp David in Maryland. He'll hear directly from the new defense secretary, Robert Gates, about this week's fact- finding trip to Iraq, where a possible short-term troop increase has been a serious point of discussion.

Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is the only television correspondent on the trip.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrapped up his three day tour of Iraq and headed back to Washington armed with conflicting military assessments about the advisability of a surge of additional U.S. forces to bring violence here in Baghdad under control.

Gates found popular support for the idea from a select group of low ranking U.S. soldiers who serve on the front lines. And CNN has learned at least some mid-level commanders support the idea, as well. One American Army general told CNN in private: "It would make a real difference in Baghdad. I would help set conditions for a political solution."

The officer, who commands troops in Baghdad, said the option currently getting serious consideration calls for five U.S. brigades and three Iraqi Army brigades to be sent into Baghdad early next year. That would provide a surge of roughly 30,000 troops, including the several thousand Iraqi Army troops.

The most senior commanders here continue to express reservations about the concept, fearing unless a surge is linked to a clear military objective that helps Iraq take control, it will only be a temporary success and ultimately counter-productive.

Gates says he never discussed specific troop numbers with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, and insists he has not made up his mind if a surge is the way to go.

But Gates will be able to report to President Bush that opposition to the surge option is not universal among U.S. commanders and that if the president adopts it, he can say what he's doing is what some generals think is best -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie, thanks very much.

Jamie McIntyre reporting.

Could the Bush administration actually bring back the military draft?

That may be a way to build up a bigger U.S. military, a military the president says may be needed for the global war on terror.

Would Congress, though, and the American public go along?

Suddenly lots of questions are being asked about conscription.

Let's get some answers from our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, more than 30 years after this country ended the military draft, it's an idea that just doesn't seem to go away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): It's an enduring symbol of the Vietnam War -- protesters burning their draft cards.

Could the draft now be coming back?

The secretary of Veterans Affairs has some people worried.

JIM NICHOLSON, VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY: That is a real advantage of the draft, because it does bring people from all quarters of our society together in the common purpose of serving for a while in uniform.

STARR: Nicholson says he isn't calling for a draft, but the selective service announced it will test the national system for running a draft to ensure it can readily locate all draft eligible men aged 18 to 25.

The military insists no draft is planned. A Pentagon spokesman says this statement, by then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, still holds.

DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There is no need for it at all. The disadvantages of using compulsion to bring into the armed forces the men and women needed are notable.

STARR: Experts say a draft leads to troops who don't want to be there, who will only stay for a short time and be poorly trained.

Since the draft ended in 1973, and the military became an all volunteer force, enough people, experts say, have volunteered for duty so that a draft simply isn't needed.

But Congressman Charles Rangel says a draft would make rich and poor alike share the sacrifice of going to war.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: If we had a draft, when the president made the decision to go to war, he wouldn't have made it because there would have been a protest. He would never be able to say "bring 'em on" with other people's children.

STARR: Even the selective service says its test, scheduled for 2009, is uncertain. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, depending on between now and then whether the budget is cut or staff is seriously curtailed, then the whole thing may be canceled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Wolf, the selective service, because of all the press reports and all the attention, posted a statement on its Web site today saying no draft is planned and that "the public should not be alarmed" -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Barbara, thanks for that.

Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.

Coming up, we're going to have a lot more on what's going on on this story.

Also, we're watching the Space Shuttle Discovery. It, right now, is about 800 miles away from the Kennedy Space Center. It's traveling, we're told, at 10,200 miles per hour. Its elevation right now about 190,000 feet. Among other things, Senator Bill Nelson, himself a former astronaut, he's standing by to join us. He's going to tell us what it feels like to be coming in from space at this moment.

Stay with us.

Lots more coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're watching momentarily for the Space Shuttle Discovery to begin its landing, to begin its approach at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It's supposed to land at 5:32 p.m. That's only a few minutes from now. We're going to watch it every step of the way.

We've got John Zarrella.

He's at the Kennedy Space Center. He's watching it.

Also joining us, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.

Good timing on our part, senator, to have you here.

And a lot of our viewers will remember, you're a former astronaut. In 1986, you were a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and you know what these seven astronauts right now on the Discovery are feeling only moments before they touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center.

Walk us through what's going on.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: About 20, 25 minutes ago, they started encountering the Earth's atmosphere upwards at about 65 miles high. And then, as the molecules of air start to strike the underside of the space shuttle, it starts to heat up.

About 10, 15 minutes ago, they were experiencing 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit on the underside of the space shuttle. And as we were coming down, I remember we used to see sparks flying. And I looked out, since we were coming in on the night side of the Earth, and there was this pink tangerine glow, as if it was early morning sunrise when, in fact, that was just the glow reflecting off of the heat, coming off of the under side of the shuttle.

BLITZER: When you're going, what, at 10,000 miles per hour, what does if feel like inside that shuttle?

NELSON: Well, when you're encountering the Earth's atmosphere, you're at about 17,000 miles an hour. And it is the Earth's atmosphere that slows you up all the way. And that's where you get all that friction and heat.

You don't have any sensation. You're praying that all of that thermal protection system, which are those silicon tiles, are going to work.

And then, right about now, they are in the vicinity of Florida, close to the Cape. When they get at about 50,000 feet, the shuttle commander is going to take manual control. And he is going to fly that baby in. And remember, he doesn't have a second chance. He's got no engines where he can go around.

BLITZER: All right...

NELSON: I can see it on the monitor right now.

BLITZER: I was just going to say, we are now, for the first time, actually seeing the Space Shuttle Discovery. It's coming through the clouds.

John Zarrella, you're there. It's getting dark, clearly, behind you at the Kennedy Space Center. I don't know if you can actually see it from your vantage point, but we can see it on our screen right now.

This is by no means perfect conditions -- a perfect condition for this kind of landing.

ZARRELLA: No, not at all, Wolf. It is certainly overcast here and we can't see it yet. They've got those tracking cameras that they're following the vehicle with.

Right now, they're less than 50 miles from the Kennedy Space Center. They were going about 1,300 miles an hour as they began to make the move to line up with the Kennedy Space Center. You can see there, I believe the shot, of course, that we're looking at, some of the trajectories is there, the vehicle is now -- we've been looking from the north, waiting for it to come from the north to the south. And everybody is actually looking up now, as if they can see it making the turn overhead. We can't see it from our vantage point here.

We're going to be listening, of course, for the triple sonic booms that we will have as the vehicle goes subsonic, as it approaches here the Kennedy Space Center.

This will be, Wolf, the 64th landing here at the Kennedy Space Center. And when the vehicle touches down, when Discovery touches down, it'll be 225,000 pounds at landing.

But you can see the vehicle there in that cloud cover. So quite clear that it is not a perfect day here for a landing, Wolf, but everything is looking excellent from -- as far as NASA is concerned -- for the landing of the shuttle. And, of course, Commander Mark Polansky now piloting the shuttle as it makes its final approaches here, just a couple of minutes away now, Wolf, from landing here at the Kennedy Space Center.

BLITZER: It's probably less. Only about three minutes, Senator Nelson, from landing.

This is -- it's still a...

NELSON: There's the three sonic booms, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes.

So we can hear it.

ZARRELLA: We just had the triple sonic booms.

Yes.

BLITZER: Good.

NELSON: Yes.

BLITZER: Senator Nelson, give us a little sense of perspective. I suspect the most dangerous part of this mission is now over, now that we can see it and it's only a few minutes away from landing.

Is that right?

NELSON: That's correct. And you're seeing the heads-up display. You are seeing exactly what the shuttle commander is seeing as he is turning in a left turn. He is in a glide slope of 17 to 22 degrees. It looks like you're plunging straight to the Earth. He is now coming around and a left turn onto final.

I'm in Orlando, 60 miles away, and I just heard the sonic boom of about a minute-and-a-half ago. And, Wolf, I'll tell you, from that perspective, he is being talked down by his pilot, who's sitting in the right seat. He's giving him all the data and he's -- as he comes around on final, as he's coming around right now, his final check are his human eyes. He will line up his plunge with a series of lights that are 1,500 feet back from the threshold of the runway called pappies (ph). And he will aim his plunge there. And then, as he gets at about 1,500 feet, he's going to start pulling up the nose and at 500 feet his pilot in the right seat's going to drop the gear and you watch, they will breeze it in and they can land it on a dime and he doesn't have an engine. This is all pilot skill.

BLITZER: And we're only about 90 seconds away from the landing. That shot that we're seeing is what the pilot Mark Polansky actually sees as he looks out of this the space shuttle Discovery. The other shot is the shot that we see of this space shuttle actually coming in. I want to listen briefly in these final seconds before touchdown to what the NASA commanders are actually saying. They're not saying much right now, but we can see it -- about 6,000 feet.

That's where they are right now, Senator Nelson.

NELSON: Look at that steep glide slope he's on. It is a bulky stubby winged glider that is gliding like a rock.

BLITZER: You can see the runway there now in front of him as it begins to approach.

NELSON: And he is aiming for those lights right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Head up display on the right, 1,800 feet.

NELSON: Eighteen hundred feet. Now in 300 feet he's pulling up the nose. See the nose now is coming up.

BLITZER: And that's what the pilot is seeing, Mark Polansky, we're seeing what he's seeing.

NELSON: That's exactly right. Now, his pilot has dropped the gear, now watch what a smooth landing this is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Landing gear is down and locked.

BLITZER: There it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nose gear touch down. Discovery is rolling out at sunset on runway 1-5 at the Kennedy Space Center completing 204 orbits, traveling 5.3 million miles. Discovery completing its 33rd mission and its seventh to the international space station.

BLITZER: Well, there it is, an excellent, perfect landing, despite less than perfect weather conditions. I'm sure you got some goose bumps watching that, Senator Nelson. I know John Zarrella and I did. But give us your reaction.

NELSON: He is just rolling to a stop and I'll tell you what is happening now is the crew is just shouting exclamations of congratulations to the commander and to the pilot as they are now going through all of their checklists to start working out and shutting down all of those systems. It is an exhilarating time and, of course, you heard the excitement in my voice, Wolf. As I was watching that orbiter descend.

BLITZER: We were all nervous, we were all watching it. John Zarrella, give us a little flavor. You're there, what did you see?

ZARRELLA: Well, Wolf, everybody started cheering as soon as they could see Discovery come down from the north to the south as it broke through those low clouds and flared over the runway here. Wasn't until about the last minute or so that we could actually see the vehicle from our vantage point and then she rolled right behind us here and down, oh, just down a ways behind us where she came to a complete stop.

And, of course, mission control welcoming the astronauts home and, as Mark Polansky the commander is known as, he's known as Roman, Roman Polansky and of course they said, welcome home, Roman to him. And everybody got a kick out of that. But a lot of cheers and clapping here at the Kennedy Space Center as Discovery, a perfect landing here and, of course, this was the first time that Mark Polansky had commanded a space shuttle.

His last space flight he was sitting in the other seat as the pilot. So it had to be an absolutely tremendous thrill for him and now we wait around, Wolf, again about 25 minutes before the hatch is opened and about an hour from now before the crew actually gets out of the vehicle. But Discovery is on the ground and home for the holidays. Wolf?

BLITZER: That makes it even sweeter. Senator Nelson, you -- 20 years ago you were aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Is that right?

NELSON: It's almost 21 years now.

BLITZER: Twenty one years and all of us know, obviously, what happened to the Columbia a bit later. But this is a moment that I'm sure the families of these seven astronauts, especially, are relishing right now. I just want to read the names of these astronauts who have just landed because it's one thing to see the space shuttle Discovery, it's another thing to know there are seven people inside of that space shuttle.

Excellent people, courageous people, the commander Mark Polansky, the pilot William Oflein (ph), another NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, Robert Kurbeam, Kryster Fuelgesain (ph), he's the Swedish astronaut who's visiting aboard the space shuttle Discovery, Joan Higginbotham, 42 year's old, she's a NASA astronaut.

Sunita Williams who went with the space shuttle is staying aboard the international space station, so she didn't come back, instead Thomas Reiter (ph), a German astronaut, he hitched a ride and he's back in the United States right now. It's a thrilling moment, no matter how many times, Senator Nelson, we see that kind of situation, it remains one of the most dramatic, exciting moments that I'm sure you see and all of us see.

NELSON: Absolutely, Wolf. And it's just, you think about hitting a pinpoint as they do and those pilot astronauts are so good that they can land it on a dime without an engine and the only correction they have is their piloting skills and a speed break that's on the vertical tail, that's it. That's a real testimony to the quality of those people that are in that cockpit.

BLITZER: It's a moment to congratulate, not only these astronauts, but the entire back-up team and there are -- I'm guessing hundreds if not thousands of individuals who made this moment happen, and we want to congratulate all of them, as well. Mission accomplished, job well done. Let me wrap it up with John Zarrella, who is our man on the scene. You have seen this a number of times, John. You have been our correspondent down in Florida for a long time. Give us some final thoughts.

ZARRELLA: Well Wolf you know final thoughts, I think that none of us really expected a landing here today at the Kennedy Space Center, the weather was so iffy all day. We thought that you know for a while they were going to go to Edwards, maybe go out to White Sands.

Never really gave it a thought that they would be able to bring it in here today to Kennedy but the weather was just on the edge, just good enough that they were able to do it and, again, you know, it just proves the tremendous ability and versatility of the folks at NASA to be able to pull it off here today. Tremendous opportunity for all of us, of course, to watch Discovery come home here right before the holidays and I'm sure that the crews and their families are all awfully excited to have them back here on earth. Wolf?

BLITZER: I want to thank both of you, John Zarrella, Senator Nelson, thanks to both of you for helping us watch this historic moment, a beautiful moment, and it made all the sweeter coming as it does just before the holidays and a new year. These family members are going to be thrilled by what they saw here and I know all of our viewers are thrilled, as well. Thanks to both of you.

Coming up, stunning new developments today in that rape case against three Duke University lacrosse players. Our Jason Carroll has been covering the story since day one. He will have the latest for us.

Also, CNN's Brian Todd spent last night in Congressman Virgil Goode's district in Virginia. He has the latest reaction on the Koran controversy Goode has stirred up. You might be surprised what Brian has discovered. Stay with us. Lots more coming up right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. In our CNN security watch, could train tunnels between New Jersey and Manhattan be targets for terrorists. Could a relatively simple attack have devastating results? There is a new report and it's raising some disturbing questions. Let's go live to CNN's Mary Snow, she's watching all of this in New York. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there are new questions about how vulnerable a commuter line in New York and New Jersey is to a bomb blast. Authorities didn't intend to make the results public, but they were reportedly leaked out of concern that information wasn't being shared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): The PATH train commuter line running beneath the Hudson River linking New Jersey and New York has been named in the past as a terror target, most recently in July. Now, a report linked to "The New York Times" concludes that the PATH train system is more vulnerable than believed that "a relatively small amount of high explosives could cause significant flooding of the rail system within hours."

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security calls the release of the document unfortunate, saying disclosing sensitive information can compromise public safety. The DHS denied to confirm the specifics of the report, the port authority which oversees the rail line also declined to discuss it.

ERNESTO BUTCHER, COO, PORT AUTHORITY OF NY AND NJ: If we knew of any imminent danger, we would certainly take action to prevent that.

SNOW: Since the subway bombings in London and the Madrid train bombings, security officials say a number of reports have been commissioned to outside contractors to assess the risk of bomb attacks. In the United States, authorities say they disrupted a plot in July by terrorists overseas to set off explosives in backpacks as trains passed through the four path tubes. The "Times" says the report was leaked by an official who was concerned that the latest findings, questioning the vulnerabilities of the PATH trains were not being shared. CNN security analyst, Pat D'Amuro.

PAT D'AMURO, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: What's concerning is that original estimates seem to be miscalculated and that now it is believed that smaller amounts of explosive material could cause severe damage to the PATH trains.

SNOW: The port authority said in recent weeks bag searches have been stepped up and an additional $180 million was allocated to improve security. Ernesto Butcher of the port authority says the vulnerability of all train systems are a matter of concern.

BUTCHER: They were not designed to withstand the kinds of issues that we're facing today.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Now the Department of Homeland Security says it's been working with agencies in the New York area to strengthen the structures of these tunnels and increase surveillance and it insists that the trains are safe to ride. Wolf?

BLITZER: Mary, thanks very much. Mary Snow reporting.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Still to come, controversial comments by a Virginia congressman about Muslims. How people in his home district are speaking out about it. You might be surprised at what they're saying. Much more coming up. Stay with us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BLITZER: There are new and dramatic developments in the Duke University lacrosse scandal. Rape charges against the three accused players have now been dropped. CNN's Jason Carroll has been covering this story since it's broke and he's joining us now live with details. Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, now doubt about it, this is another major setback for the prosecution. The defense put it this way, they say it clearly shows that there is not a spider web of evidence that supports any of the allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): They are no longer accused of rape, this after the alleged victim now says she can't can be certain former Duke University lacrosse players Reade Seligman, Collin Finnerty and Dave Evans raped her during a party last March. The Durham district attorney Michael Nifong dropped the rape charges following an interview with the accuser on Thursday.

He would not speak about the case but in court documents filed Friday, Nifong wrote, "She initially believed that she had been vaginally penetrated by a male sex organ. She can no longer testify with certainty. Since there is no scientific or other evidence independent of the victim's testimony, the state is unable to meet its burden of proof."

JOE CHESHIRE, ATTORNEY FOR DAVID EVANS: These boys are absolutely innocent. They never touched her, they were never alone with her together in any place, so, it's not possible that they kidnapped her, touched her, raped her, assaulted her or did anything else to her.

CARROLL: Defense attorneys say this most recent development leaves them enormously confident, but frustrated that the DA did not drop all the charges. The three former players still face first degree sexual offense and kidnapping charges.

WADE SMITH, ATTORNEY FOR COLLIN FINNERTY: Mr. Nifong, if you are listening, do the rest of this, do the honorable thing, end this case. Because there isn't a case to bring. And those are my thoughts.

CARROLL: Defense attorneys point to what they say are several flaws in the prosecution's case. First, two DNA tests showed no match between the alleged victim and the Duke lacrosse players. Second, they say a timeline will show at least two of the players were not at the party when the accuser says the assault took place. They also take issue with how the DA had the accuser identify her attackers. This video of the lineup shows part of the process during which the defense says she was only shown pictures of lacrosse players. Typically in a lineup dummy pictures are also used for a more accurate result. The most serious charges being dropped in this case was welcome news to Collin Finnerty's father.

KEVIN FINNERTY, COLLIN FINNERTY'S FATHER: The boys are innocent. Again, this is long overdue. It's a great first step.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Again, defense attorneys say this is just another example of why they believe this case should be over. Once again, they are calling on district attorney Michael Nifong to quote unquote, do the right thing and drop all the charges. Wolf?

BLITZER: Jason Carroll doing some excellent reporting for us, Jason, thank you very much.

Up ahead, a Virginia congressman makes some controversial remarks about Muslims. What are his constituents saying about it? We're going to go to his home district to find out. Plus, Britain's Queen Elizabeth goes high tech for Christmas. Details of that coming up as well. Stay with us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You're looking at a live picture of the space shuttle Discovery. It's on the ground right now, a picture perfect landing about 20 minutes or so ago despite less than picture perfect weather conditions. Congratulations to the seven astronauts on board. The commander Mark Polansky specifically, he was the commander of the space shuttle.

Republican Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia is sticking to his guns, but is his district sticking with him. Goode has been sharply criticized because he sharply criticized Congressman- elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota for planning to use the Muslim Koran in his swearing in ceremony. CNN's Brian Todd has had a chance to check the fallout in Virginia in Goode's district. He just got back. What is it, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, we woke up this morning in Virgil Goode's hometown in southern Virginia where residents are very, very aware of all the controversy their congressman has stirred up. So we sought to find out if Goode's constituents still support him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): A congressman under fire for words he has no intention of taking back.

REP. VIRGIL GOODE, (R) VIRGINIA: I feel in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt strict immigration policies.

TODD: Republican Virgil Goode dubbed a bigot by "The Washington Post," for slamming the Koran after incoming Congressman Keith Ellison said he'd use the Muslim holy book at his unofficial swearing in. Another member of Congress calls Goode's statements reckless. Drive four and a half hours south from Washington and they're having none of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I support him 100 percent.

TODD: In Goode's hometown of Rocky Mount, Virginia, nearly everyone we spoke with stands by Virgil Goode. Does that make them racist? Not necessarily. But their comment reflect the gray areas of race, religion and demographics in small town America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you, sweetness?

TODD: At the hub restaurant, the place for breakfast in Rocky Mount, this man says he went to high school with Virgil Goode, says Goode is no bigot. On Keith Ellison --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh I'm not against the Muslim faith, but I just don't -- I'm against him enforcing his rules, his opinion upon us.

TODD: Congressman elect Ellison may not be forcing anything on anyone, but this woman does not believe Ellison should use the Koran at his swearing in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like King James' version bible and I think Virgil does too. And I think that's what should be used.

TODD: Even if you're not of the same faith?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

TODD: From our discussions, even from the bill of fair, we get the impression many here don't have a particular problem with Islam, they just may not come into contact with it much.

(on camera): The menu for the hub restaurant here on Main Street, standard fare for breakfast, pancakes, eggs. And on the back you have these offerings of thanks before a meal for different faiths. Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, nothing for Muslims.

(voice-over): In the kitchen, owner Butch Wilcox takes a break from making butterscotch and chocolate pies to explain.

BUTCH WILCOX, RESTAURANT OWNER: That was started 33 years ago and I really didn't know much about Muslims back then. I really did not. Like I said, about status quo, I just keep that on the back of the menu and I printed them probably a couple dozen times. It has been a couple of years since I have printed them.

TODD: But it's not meant to discriminate against anybody?

WILCOX: Absolutely not. There would be no future in that here.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE) TODD: Well, Virgil Goode certainly has a future, at least politically. He was just re-elected by a wide margin. The local newspaper editor tells us they've received no calls of complaint against Goode since this controversy erupted. Goode's office tells us calls and e-mails to them are overwhelmingly positive. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Brian Todd. Brian is on the scene for us, had been, just got back to Washington.

Up next, perhaps the most traditional of institutions, the British monarchy and the Catholic Church. Now both of them are racing into the future with a whole new way to celebrate Christmas. Stick around, you're going to want to see this. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A British holiday tradition is going high tech and guess what? It's available to you. Let's bring back CNN's Carol Costello, she's in New York, she has details in our "Welcome to the Future" report. Carol?

CAROL COSTELLO: It is available to you. You know every year her majesty, the queen, delivers a Christmas message to her constituents. She does it the old-fashioned way, via radio and television. But not this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Nelly has one, so does Mr. Sexy Back himself and, now, well, she is putting the queen in the queen of hip.

QUEEN ELIZABETH: The wisdom and experience of the great religions point to the need to nurture and guide the young and to encourage respect for the elderly.

COSTELLO: Don't let her tone fool you, she's hip to the net, now offering her Christmas message in a podcast. It's an attempt to draw in the youth culture. Much like the very popular podcast, ask a ninja. In case you didn't know, the ninja is the Ann Landers of the podcast set, ask him anything and he knows the answer, which is how some feel about the queen.

QUEEN ELIZABETH: The older generation are able to give a sense of context.

COSTELLO: Her majesty taped her podcast at (INAUDIBLE) Cathedral in front of a cast of children who listened she tells them to respect their elders. And while her Christmas message may not be as exciting as downloading a podcast of Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas, it is an attempt to talk to young people how they like to listen. If you would like to hear the rest of the queen's message, go to her website on Christmas Day and download it for yourself.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: There you have it. I don't know that her message will resonate with 20 somethings and younger, as you heard, she urges them, in part, to listen to their elders and there will be more of the same in perhaps other messages in her Christmas message which will be completely downloaded into the system on Christmas Day. Wolf?

BLITZER: Welcome to the future for that. Thanks, Carol, for that.

Let's end this hour with a closer look at some of the hot shots, pictures coming in from our friends at the "Associated Press," pictures likely to be in your newspapers tomorrow. On the west bank, Palestinian gunmen from Hamas take positions during a gun battle with Fattah militants. In southern Malaysia a railway worker inspects a track damaged by floods.

In Denver a man struggles to clear the steps of his business and in Thailand an elephant dressed as Santa Claus performs with a hoola hoop. This hour's hot shots. Pictures often worth a thousand words. We'll be back here in one hour, 7:00 p.m. eastern. Lots of news coming up. Until then, let's go to "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," Kitty Pilgrim sitting in. Kitty?

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