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07/17/06: STS-121: Landing at Kennedy Space Center.
Mission: STS-121: 18th International Space Station Flight (ULF1.1); second test mission
Unlike space shuttle launches for which a "go" for liftoff can be given within minutes of changing weather conditions during the launch window, the landing site must be chosen more than an hour before touchdown, when the deorbit burn takes place. A switch in sites usually can be made up to 90 minutes prior to landing. The orbiter touches down on the surface of the Shuttle Landing Facility at a speed of 213 to 226 mph. Its initial landing approach is a glide slope of 20 degrees, more than six times steeper than the 3-degree slope of a typical commercial jet airliner as it approaches landing.
17 July: 05:47 CDT (10:47 UT): Mission Control, Houston.
17 July: 06:45 EDT (10:45 UT): The Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center.
At 15,000 feet long and 300 feet wide, the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center is larger than most commercial runways. For comparison, consider this: the longest runway at Los Angeles International Airport is 12,091 feet long and 150 feet wide -- 2,909 feet shorter and 150 feet narrower than the Shuttle Landing Facility. Although it is used by military and civilian cargo carriers, astronaut T-38 trainers, shuttle training aircraft and helicopters, the facility was specifically designed for end-of-mission shuttle orbiter landings.
The Shuttle Landing Facility consists of a single landing strip that is considered two runways, depending on approach. If approaching from the northwest, landing will be on Runway 15; from the southeast, landing will be on Runway 33.
With more than 330 native and migratory bird species at Kennedy, birds present a special hazard to landing orbiters. Selective grass-cutting, pyrotechnic and noise-making devices may be used to discourage birds around the facility.
When the space shuttle clears the launch tower moments after liftoff, control is officially handed from Kennedy to Johnson Space Center in Houston, which maintains control of on-orbit activities and landing operations. Orbiter responsibility is handed from Johnson back to Kennedy after vehicle cool-down and crew departure, typically about an hour after touchdown.
Immediately following landing, 20 to 30 specially-designed Kennedy vehicles or units report to the runway. Their activities include safing the orbiter, assisting in crew departure and towing the vehicle to processing facilities.
7:00 a.m. The Sun rose a short time ago into a partly cloudy sky along Florida's Space Coast.
We are expecting to hear a go/no-go decision for deorbit burn within in the next half hour. The burn is planned for 8:04 a.m., but NASA is carefully monitoring the weather forecast due to broken clouds at the 11,000 and 25,000 foot level and a concern for the potential of rain showers developing to the north of Kennedy Space Center.
The Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 is expected to touch down on Runway 15/33 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at 9:14 a.m. There are two landing opportunities at Kennedy this morning.
Astronauts Kent Rominger and Mike Bloomfield are in the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) flying weather reconnaissance at the landing site and relaying weather information in real time to mission control in Houston.
A "go" was given at 5:30 a.m. for Discovery's 60-foot-long payload bay doors to be closed. Mission control then instructed the commander to go for "Ops 3," the portion of the orbiter's flight control software that manages entry and landing.
7:02 a.m. - The crew has been told to begin fluid loading, which means that they drink large amounts of fluids to aid them in their re-acclimation into Earth's gravity. Each crew member will drink approximately 40 ounces of water -- about eight ounces every fifteen minutes -- and take salt pills to help them increase their fluid volume. Crew members will drink chicken consume, orange-aid or water.
7:06 a.m. - About 6:40 a.m. the crew began dressing in their pumpkin-orange launch and entry suits, with seat ingress beginning shortly afterward.
7:11 a.m. - While the rest of the crew continued preparations for landing, Commander Steve Lindsey was told by Steve Frick, CAPCOM in Mission Control-Houston, that the decision to go for deorbit burn would be a last minute one as the weather conditions are still being watched closely. Kathy Winters is the weather officer for today's landing.
7:18 a.m. - The shuttle training aircraft is still airborne, keeping track of the weather conditions around the shuttle landing facility.
7:18 a.m. - During re-entry and landing, the orbiter is not powered by engines and flies like a high-tech glider, relying first on its steering jets and then its aerosurfaces to control the airflow around it.
overy has two different runway options: Runway 33 at the shuttle landing facility is used when the orbiter comes in from the southeast, and Runway 15 is used when it comes in from the northwest. The runway determination is largely based on wind direction and speed.
7:33 a.m. - There are potential showers and anvil clouds to the north of the landing facility. Winds are picking up slightly over the runway, but are still very light. It will be a minute-by-minute call as to whether Discovery will be able to land on the first opportunity today.
7:41 a.m. - We are now within the final 30 minutes before deorbit burn. Mission control is continuing to monitor weather. A poll for go/no-go was just completed throughout the control center and all are "go" as long as the weather continues to cooperate.
7:44 a.m. - Commander Steven Lindsey has been instructed to maneuver to the deorbit burn attitude in preparation for the deorbit burn and landing. Once again, we are still waiting on the final permission to be given for deorbit burn due to the anvil cloud in the area of Kennedy Space Center.
7:56 a.m. - Mission control has given Discovery the go for deorbit burn! The thunderstorms have cleared and weather is forecasted to be good for the landing, scheduled for 9:14 a.m. We are 10 minutes away from the start of the deorbit burn. The deorbit burn will slow Discovery by 200 mph, causing it to fall out of orbit and begin the descent for landing.
7:58 a.m. - The crew members are now strapping themselves into their seats and getting ready for the ride home.
8:03 a.m. - Auxiliary power unit (APU) 1 is up and running and looking good. APUs propel pumps used to power Discovery's hydraulic systems.
8:07 a.m. - Discovery's deorbit burn has begun. The ship is currently over the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sumatra. This burn will last for three minutes and slow the shuttle down by approximately 205 mph to begin its descent home to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
8:10 a.m. - Deorbit burn has been completed. During the burn Discovery was flying upside down and backwards. The shuttle is now committed to landing today.
8:16 a.m. - The orbiter is beginning to feel the effects of the atmosphere. The crew was just given the go to begin dumping the excess propellants from the shuttle's forward maneuvering thrusters.
8:20 a.m. - The landing track Discovery will follow into the Kennedy Space Center this morning should give residents along the Gulf Coast the chance to see the orbiter's entry.
8:22 a.m. - Shuttle Discovery is about 400,000 feet high and 52 minutes from touchdown at Kennedy Space Center. In about 20 minutes the ship will encounter the period of re-entry known as "entry interface." At this point, Discovery will be 80 miles in altitude and 5,000 miles from the runway.
8:27 a.m. - Mission control is giving Discovery an updated weather report. Right now Runway 33 is the target, but that could change if weather poses a problem. We are 46 minutes from touchdown.
8:31 a.m. - All three APUs are fired up and ready for landing, powering aerosurfaces like Discovery's tail rudder and wing flaps. Discovery is now over the South Pacific, just off the coast of New Zealand.
8:33 a.m. - Discovery is ten minutes from the start of entry interface. At that point, the ship and its crew will begin to experience increasing drag and friction as the shuttle races into the ever-thickening atmosphere.
8:38 a.m. - Discovery is currently at an altitude of 108 statute miles and 6,300 miles from the runway. Today will be the 62nd landing of the shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.
8:43 a.m. - As Discovery begins entry interface the orbiter is about 31 minutes from touchdown at Kennedy Space Center. At this time the orbiter's protective tiles are being exposed to extreme heat as Discovery enters the top fringes of the atmosphere. Discovery is now 4,600 miles to the runway, traveling at approximately mach 24.8.
8:48 a.m. - Discovery and the STS-121 crew are traveling at an altitude of 50 miles, 3,000 miles to the runway. Discovery is in a left roll now.
8:50 a.m. - Discovery has three good APUs and is heading toward the Yucatan Peninsula, on its way home to Florida. Speed is Mach 24.3. Mission control is considering a possible last minute redirect to Runway 15 due to some showers popping up around the Kennedy landing field.
8:54 a.m. - Discovery's speed is now 15,000 mph, 2,000 miles to the runway and about 20 minutes from touchdown.
8:58 a.m. - The Expedition 13 crew is watching the STS-121 crew's re-entry with a bird's-eye view from the International Space Station.
9:02 a.m. - Discovery is 13 minutes from touchdown, speed Mach 11.6, altitude 32.5 miles. Mission control has asked that Discovery change the landing to Runway 15.
9:05 a.m. - Discovery's current speed is Mach 6.2 (4,650 mph), 25 miles in altitude and 214 miles from the runway. Discovery is approaching Florida's southwestern coast. Nine minutes until touchdown.
9:06 a.m. - Discovery's current speed is now Mach 4.5 (3,375 mph), 21 miles high and rapidly descending.
9:10 a.m. - 5 minutes and 30 seconds to touchdown. Discovery's speed is now Mach 1.7 (1,275 mph), 12.5 miles in altitude.
9:11 a.m. - Twin sonic booms were just heard at the Kennedy Space Center as the orbiter makes its final approach and is three minutes to touchdown.
9:14 a.m. - Discovery is on track at the 90 degree mark, altitude 15,000 feet, speed 420 miles per hour. Commander Lindsey reports that he has the landing field in site.
9:15 a.m. - Touchdown! Discovery has safely landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
9:16 a.m. - Discovery's wheels have come to stop on Runway 15, completing a journey of more than 5 million miles.
Welcome home STS-121 and Discovery!
9:18 a.m. - The STS-121 crew of Discovery is safely home. The astronauts are now in process of shutting down the orbiter's systems.
9:22 a.m. - The space shuttle service vehicles convoy is approaching the orbiter carrying support crews and equipment to safe Discovery.
9:28 a.m. - Discovery's crew advises controllers that the landing gear has been safed. The go has been given for the commander and pilot to configure Discovery's computers for "Ops 9 Transition"- a post-landing software package. The convoy crew members are approaching the aft (back) end of the Space Shuttle Discovery.
The shuttle landing facility is located approximately three miles from the vehicle assembly building.
9:36 a.m. - The astronauts have been cleared to remove their orange flight and entry suits. Work to safely shutdown Discovery's systems is continuing.
9:43 a.m. - Discovery's three APUs have been shut down. Mission control reports that the devices worked normally during today's entry and landing.
9:59 a.m. - Shuttle Discovery's hatch is open and the STS-121 astronauts are preparing to depart the vehicle. The mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds, with wheel-stop arriving at 9:15:49 a.m. EDT.
The Crew Transport Vehicle has pulled up to the hatch-side of the orbiter. There are beds and comfortable seats inside the transporter so that the astronauts can receive medical checks immediately after returning to Earth.
10:04 a.m. - Discovery has been on the ground at Kennedy Space Center for about 50 minutes. The mission elapsed time to main gear touchdown was 12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes and 48 seconds, while nose gear touchdown was 12 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes and 58 seconds.
The crew has finished up a very successful five and a half million mile mission to the International Space Station, delivering a third expedition crew member for the first time since 2003.
10:23 a.m. - All crew members are safely off Shuttle Discovery and on the Crew Transport Vehicle, a modified "people mover."
Once the shuttle lands it is towed by a diesel-powered tractor to the processing facilities via a two-mile tow-way from the Shuttle Landing Facility.
10:25 a.m. - In the next few minutes we expect to see the commander and some of the other crew members perform a "walk around" of the orbiter for a post-flight inspection. After that they will go back into the Crew Transport Vehicle to await the arrival of the Astrovan to take them back to the crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building.
10:32 a.m. - At approximately 11:00 a.m. this morning there will be a post-landing press conference with NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmeir and Launch Director Mike Leinbach.
10:38 a.m. - The Crew Transport Vehicle is backing away from the orbiter at this time. The vehicle will then lower to the pavement allowing the astronauts to exit and walk around the orbiter if they should chose to do so.
10:40 a.m. - The Astrovan has arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility to carry the astronauts back to their crew quarters.
10:43 a.m. - The STS-121 astronauts have left the Crew Transport Vehicle and are being greeted by NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and a number of other senior managers. The crew is laughing and smiling widely as they proceed down the reception line.
The six STS-121 crew members, led by Commander Steve Lindsey, exit the Crew Transport Vehicle and are greeted by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and several senior managers.
10:49 a.m. - The crew is speaking with Administrator Griffin and Associate Administrator Rex Geveden, and checking out the tiles on the belly of the orbiter.
The orbiter is about the size of a DC-9 airline, but unlike conventional aircraft, it doesn't have jet engines to power it during re-entry and landing. This means that its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed on the first try.
10:58 a.m. - The crew has gathered around a standing microphone. Commander Lindsey thanked the folks at Kennedy for the cleanest vehicle ever. He said that both major objectives of the mission were accomplished "and we are ready to go assemble the station and ready to go fly shuttles on a regular basis. The crew was nearly perfect... it was a privilege for me to serve with them."
11:00 a.m. - The crew has now entered the Astrovan to head back to the Operations and Checkout building after their 13 day mission.
- courtesy of NASA
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Timezones:
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Discovery (OV-103)
