Posted on 12/21/2006 11:18:59 AM PST by BenLurkin
For the first time in more than five years, members of the general public may have the opportunity to watch a space shuttle landing in person at Edwards Air Force Base.
The base, the primary backup landing site for the shuttle, will open its gates Friday to view the return of Discovery, if conditions prevent using the main landing site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Due to limited supplies on board Discovery, and a worsening weather forecast for Saturday, shuttle officials are pushing for a Friday landing.
Because the landing site decision will not be made until 60 to 90 minutes before touchdown, visitors are advised to head to the base even if the site is still undetermined.
Information about the landing is available from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards at (661) 267-3520.
Only two gates will be open to the general public: the West Gate off Rosamond Boulevard and the North Gate off Highway 58. Gates will open at 10 a.m. and close 30 minutes prior to the expected landing time.
All visitors 16 years and older will be required to show a valid U.S. driver's license for admittance to the base.
Three possible landing opportunities exist Friday for the Edwards site, at 2:26 p.m., 4:01 p.m. and 5:36 p.m. PST. Tentative landing times for Florida are 12:56 p.m. and 2:31 p.m. PST. Shuttle officials will most likely attempt the two Florida landing times before shifting the site.
Visitors will witness the landing from the traditional viewing site on Rosamond Boulevard.
"Our civil engineers are working on getting that area ready," said Lt. Brad Kimberly, acting chief of public affairs for the 95th Air Base Wing. "We're not sure how many people will come. Our phones literally rang off the hook" during the last landing there.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
Space Ping
Wish I could be there to watch it.
Yes. Edwards and a couple other sites are always alternates.
I think the difference tomorrow is that the public is being let back onto the base for viewing.
If it does land at Edwards, then they have to piggy-back it atpp the 747 transporter for the flight back to the Cape...Man, that is a wild pic...
I've seen that in the air.
I'm sure it is tricky to fly but those NASA pilots make it look easy.
I'm hoping for White Sands.
"Could" Of course it could. Don't they mean "might?" More abuse of English by the press.
Appears to be the editor's error. Ms. Gatlin's text says "may".
The editors at Valley Press include at least one major doofus.
Just my opinion.
;-)
Doofuses are everywhere. Some didn't fail English 101, though.
I think both landing times mentioned for Florida are doable. They just need to get down prior to 2000 EST.
The Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) releases a spherical probe after being deployed from Discovery's payload bay in this view from NASA TV December 21, 2006. ANDE consists of two spherical microsatellites that will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth orbit atmosphere while being tracked from the ground in order to better predict the movement of objects in orbit. (NASA TV/Reuters)
Note the modified tail assembly on the 747. I gather that was because of loss of control caused by the air turbulence of the shuttleatop the 747. Was that discovered by wind tunnel testing?
Now you're talking way over my head.
Hopefully our FReeper enginee or pilot types can answer that.
In other words, private citizens are not to be allowed on post.
Launching them just to send back into the atmosphere.
Hmmm.....
This is what the Air Force says: http://www.edwards.af.mil/faq/docs_html/aircraft_temp.html#4
I could be wrong but I think a California driver's license will do just fine and a license from Manitoba will not be okay.
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