HOUSTON, Sept 21: The US space agency on Wednesday decided to close Houston’s Johnson Space Centre due to the threat posed by Hurricane Rita, handing over control of the International Space Station (ISS) to Russia.

A small, emergency rideout crew will remain on site but the centre was not to reopen until the storm threat has passed, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) said in a statement. Hurricane Rita was expected to hit the Texas coast this weekend.

The space centre is home to NASA astronauts and also directs space shuttle missions and manages activity on the International Space Station.

“Primary flight control of the station will transition to the Russian Mission Control Centre in Korolev, outside Moscow. As usual, a group of NASA flight controllers is positioned at the Russian control centre to assist with operations,” NASA said.

—AFP