Space Shuttle Action

[kkeenan 13]

Space Shuttle Discovery Set to Return Home Tomorrow Morning
Space shuttle Discovery and its six-member crew are scheduled to wrap up the STS-133 mission tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9, with a landing on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) runway at 11:57 a.m. The Spaceflight Meteorology Group at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is predicting favorable weather.

Live landing coverage originating from the SLF's Air Traffic Control Tower will begin at 8:30 a.m. on NASA's Landing Blog, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/landing_blog.html

STS-133 is Discovery's final scheduled spaceflight. The shuttle first flew in 1984, and its storied past includes the deployment of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the first rendezvous with Russia's Mir space station, two return to flight missions and key International Space Station construction flights.

Space Shuttle Endeavour Scheduled to Roll Out to Launch Pad 39A Tomorrow Evening
Space shuttle Endeavour will make its last planned trek out to Launch Pad 39A from the Vehicle Assembly Building tomorrow, Wednesday March 9. The move, known as "rollout," is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

Endeavour is being prepped for the STS-134 mission, which is targeted to launch April 19. The shuttle and its crew of six will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical space parts to the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled to be the last for Endeavour, which first flew the STS-49 mission in May 1992.

Endeavour's upcoming mission is commanded by Mark Kelly and piloted by Greg H. Johnson. The mission specialists are Michael Finke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori. The crew members are scheduled to be at KSC to witness their spacecraft's move to the seaside launch pad.

[ltdiver 3]

Saw Discovery and the ISS fly overhead tonight for about 2 minutes each. It was spectacular and amazingly bright in the night sky.

Thank you to all the men and women who've served in reaching farther than we ever imagined possible. Looking forward to what is yet to come . . .

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Beerlight 0]

The flight team has just given a “GO” for payload bay door closure. The weather at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility is currently observed and forecast “GO for the first KSC landing opportunity at 11:58 AM EST. The “GO/NO GO” for the deorbit burn is scheduled for about 10:32 AM EST.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

[kkeenan 13]

Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) is the preferred landing site for every shuttle mission because it saves on processing time. Edwards Air Force Base in California is the shuttle's backup landing site, although a landing there requires a cross-country ferry flight aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Because there's no calling off a landing after the deorbit burn, the flight director has to decide on a landing site about an hour and a half before touchdown.

The SLF runway was designed specifically for space shuttles returning from orbit. Measuring 15,000 feet long and 300 feet wide, the paved runway is longer and wider than most commercial airport runways. Although there is only one physical runway here, it's considered two: Runway 33 is used for approaches from the southeast, and Runway 15 accommodates approaches from the northwest. Wind direction and speed are important factors when choosing a runway.

NASA has selected Runway 15 for Discovery's landing today.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:52:54 AM EST

With an hour left until the deorbit burn, the timeline calls for Discovery's astronauts to start strapping into their seats. Lindsey, of course, is flying home in the commander's seat on front left side of the flight deck. Pilot Eric Boe will sit beside him on the right. Behind them are Mission Specialists Alvin Drew and Nicole Stott. Below, on Discovery's middeck, are Mission Specialists Michael Barratt and Steve Bowen.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:04:19 AM EST

Flight controllers already have given Flight Director Tony Ceccacci their go-ahead for the deorbit burn. The burn is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. Discovery and the STS-133 astronauts are "go" to return to Kennedy Space Center today with touchdown expected at 11:57:26 a.m.

[lawrocket 3]

Landing ground track...

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/524127main_KSC202_mid.gif

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:48:58 AM EST

Pilot Eric Boe started one auxiliary power unit just to ensure one is working for entry. Shortly before Discovery meets the upper edges of Earth's atmosphere, he'll activate the other two. The APUs provide power to the hydraulic system that operate the orbiter's steering surfaces. The crew is pulling out their entry checklist with about four minutes left until the deorbit burn.

[jumpwally 0]

Im sure Mr. Mitchell will be reading this,,,,,,as the Shuttle sccoots across Florida,,,whats the process to clear the airspace in that whole region ? if you look on something like Flightaware it shows a bee hive of plane activity usually....is it a big deal planned far in advance or is it every day stuff for air traffic control ?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[kkeenan 13]

They are way above 35k ft until the terminal area around KSC.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:56:18 AM EST

"We saw a good burn and we'll meet you on the post-burn tab of the reentry checklist," CAPCOM Charlie Hobaugh said to Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey. For Lindsey, his crewmates and Discovery, the trip home is finally under way. After 13 days in orbit -- more than eight of them spent docked at the International Space Station -- Discovery is headed to landing at Kennedy's Runway 15 at 11:57:26 a.m.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:06:21 AM EST

Discovery's landing track this morning will bring the shuttle over Florida at Sarasota, over Kissimmee in Central Florida, and then to Kennedy Space Center.

After the landing, when Discovery has rolled to a stop on the runway, the wheelstop location will be marked on the runway so a permanent marker can be installed, showing where Discovery's missions finally ended.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:19:26 AM EST

Since there won't be time to explain it close to touchdown, here's an explanation of the sonic booms heard during shuttle landings. The thunderous sound we hear on the ground originates when a fast-moving, airborne vehicle forcefully shoves air molecules aside. Shockwaves form around the vehicle's nose and tail, generating two loud booms as the vehicle passes by and the pressure buildup is abruptly released. This is the case for supersonic aircraft as well as the space shuttle. But most supersonic aircraft are so small, the sounds are normally heard as one. The shuttle, on the other hand, is large enough that its two sonic booms are distinct.

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center offers a fact sheet providing more details. Ffor technical reasons, you'll need to copy and paste this link into your browser. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-016-DFRC.html

[normiss 622]

Hook turn over KSC?
That trajectory looks awesome!

[normiss 622]

BOOM! BOOM!!!!


God I love hearing those booms.

[Amazon 7]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Live

[david3 0]

Quote

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Live

Welcome home!

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:58:04 AM EST

Main gear touchdown. Discovery and crew are back on the ground at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, wrapping up the 5.3-million-mile mission STS-133 mission. The cheers from the crowd below are audible all the way up here in the air traffic control tower.

[normiss 622]

"Farewell Discovery"

[lawrocket 3]

Question I've never seen really answered - at what altitude is the Shuttle when the sonic booms first become audible at ground level?

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[kkeenan 13]

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:59:46 AM EST

The shuttle has rolled to a stop, officially concluding the STS-133 mission. After 27 years of service during which it racked up exactly one cumulative year in space and an odometer reading of more than 148 million miles, space shuttle Discovery's distinguished career has flown into history books.

"And to the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say farewell, Discovery," said NASA Commentator Josh Byerly.

"And Houston, Discovery. For the final time, wheelstop," Commander Lindsey said when the orbiter stopped on the runway. He also thanked the Kennedy team for giving the crew a "terrific vehicle for a final flight."

[normiss 622]

After today's it would seem to depend.

My daughter and I heard them twice today.
On her trip to KSC, then when the 7 mile hook turn was performed as well.
I've never heard two sets....AWESOME!!!

[normiss 622]

I'd LOVE to know what it feels like to ride a ship that loses altitude at 200fps intentionally...

[billvon 2,435]

>I'd LOVE to know what it feels like to ride a ship that loses altitude at 200fps
>intentionally.

I bet you have one at your DZ!

[Beerlight 0]

Great to see two AIR FORCE guys flying today!

And wasn't it nice of Steve to give Eric a little "stick time" coming around the HAC!