Payload bay doors are closed

Space.com ^ | 18 Oct 2002 | Jim Banke

[Lokibob]

 

 

 

Payload bay doors are closed
Friday, Oct. 18, 2002 at 8:15 a.m. EDT

Landing is on schedule for this morning.

Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors were closed a few minutes ago and the crew is now reconfiguring the orbiter computer software to run the landing-related program.

The weather here is absolutely perfect, with sunny skies, light winds and cool temperatures that will make it a lot nicer to work out on the shuttle runway once Atlantis has touched down and rolled to a stop.

The shuttle is now scheduled to fire its twin braking rockets at 10:36 a.m. EDT and land at 11:44 a.m. EDT.

The landing will be on Runway 33, which means the shuttle will fly overhead, make a sweeping right-hand turn to line up with the concrete strip and fly an approach from the south to the north.

Local Space Coast residents will have an excellent chance to see Atlantis land, with the parking lot of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex being a particulary good spot to see the final approach.

Stay tuned to this page for confirmation of the de-orbit burn at 10:36 a.m. EDT.

-- Jim Banke, Senior Producer, Cape Canaveral Bureau

[Chemist_Geek]

Atlantis now on conventional aircraft instruments. Speed Mach 5.

[Chemist_Geek]

Altitude 18 miles, speed Mach 3, shuttle visible from airfield. 6.5 minutes.

[The_Victor]

Rounding the HAC now.

[Chemist_Geek]

Atlantis now subsonic. Shuttle under manual control now. Flying a "pattern" to align with runway 33. Two minutes to landing.

[Miss Marple]

Well, one would think that I would have the lingo down, having been here for over two years! As a "conservative" I feel that my money is fairly well spent on the space program, since telemetry advances are now used in operating rooms and ICU's.

But then, I am certain those would have been developed anyway, wouldn't they? No doubt more quickly if the government hadn't been involved. I just know in 1960 that without the space program doctors would have been working real hard on cardiac monitors.

[Chemist_Geek]

Visual on the runway. Final approach.

[Chemist_Geek]

Three gear down and locked.

[Chemist_Geek]

Touchdown!

[Miss Marple]

Yay!

[The_Victor]

On the ground and stopped.

[Chemist_Geek]

Wheel Stop.

Welcome home, Atlantis.

[BlazingArizona]

On the ground and stopped.

Congratulations!

[Taliesan]

the paving of West Virginia

Watch it.

[Chemist_Geek]

HAZMAT and fire/rescue crews approaching Atlantis. This is standard procedure to secure the Orbiter and assure crew safety after touchdown.

[newgeezer]

Watch it.

Senator Byrd, I presume? ;o)

[Fudd]

Interesting editing job since that's not what Chemist_Geek posted. Like it or not the constitution reads "Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8. Congress may promote the Progress of Science and Useful Arts."

Yes, but where in the Constitution does it say that government agencies may lose track of billions of dollars due to fraud and incompetence? NASA is one of the bad boys in its horrific accounting practices. As much as I like the agency, it needs to get itself under control.

[itssoamusing]

Quite a sight as always!!!!
Welcome home Atlantis.

[Lokibob]

Was that nose video during the approach and landing or video from another source?

[The_Victor]

As a "conservative" I feel that my money is fairly well spent on the space program...

I'd be careful with that can of worms. But, you did say space program, rather than NASA. :)

If you like to see what space developed technology has been adapted for private sector use, you might enjoy this.

[Chemist_Geek]

Was that nose video during the approach and landing or video from another source?

The commentator on the "unConstituitional" NASA TV said that it was live from Atlantis.

Getting ready to crack the hatch and crew support enter the Orbiter...