Because weather in Florida forced the Endeavour astronauts to touch down at an alternate landing site in California Sunday, the space shuttle Endeavour finally headed back home 10 days after an unscheduled stop in Southern California. Space shuttle Endeavour bolted on top of a Boeing 747, being en route to the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday from Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The flight will cost about $1.8 million. The 747, called a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, and Endeavour are expected at NASA's Kennedy Space Center as early as Thursday afternoon, but Friday also is a possibility, the agency said in a statement. The exact timing and route depend on weather conditions along the way. The shuttle/aircraft combo is en route to Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas.

"Originally, the duo were to take in three States during the cross country ferry trip, before the plan was aligned to best facilitate their arrival back at the Shuttle Landing Facility," NASA says in a release.

More than 20 U.S. Air Force bases are available for selection for stopovers. On a few past occasions, the shuttle and its carrier have used Barksdale as a midway point for crew rest and refueling.

The shuttle landed at Edwards Air Force Base on Nov. 30 after a 16-day mission to service the International Space Station. It was rerouted to California because of stormy weather at its main landing site in Florida. Endeavour was supposed to leave on Sunday, but a technical delay and bad weather delayed the trip.