SHUTTLE LESS THAN 30 MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN.

space.com ^ | Dec 7,2002 | self

[Lokibob]

25 mins from touchdown.

[Lokibob]

The link has NASA tv on it.

[rwfromkansas]

And it is newsworthy why......

[Lokibob]

not your cup of tea?

[Diddle E. Squat]

And we all know that a field goal won't do it in this case.

[hole_n_one]

LOL!

[hole_n_one]

Behave!

[Lokibob]

nope, its gotta be a touchdown.

They put the wheels down just a few seconds from touchdown, and no chance for a fly around.

[Lokibob]

The descent angle is 20 degrees. There is no flair out, it is just plunk it down.

Not withstanding your name, to a shuttle pilot, a flair on landing is like squatting to pee, just not the manly thing to do.

[livius]

Thanks! Going there right now.

[Bobibutu]

Thx for the heads up - love that NASA TV

[coloradan]

I saw a landing once. It flies like a brick!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Thanks for the link! Just spent the last few minutes watching the final approach and landing of the shuttle! Absolutely awesome! My nine year old is sitting with me watching it. Man, I love the space program!

[livius]

Ooowee! Another good reason not to let Osama and his Sandmen get at us. I love our space program!

[Lokibob]

Did you see the IR video? Man, that sucker was glowing!!!

[petuniasevan]

Thanks Lokibob - I had a few minutes to watch before I go to work.

They've brought back the 3 crew from the ISS who were there over 6 months. Wonder how gravity feels to them after all that time in free-fall?

I'll bet they're happy to be back, though.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

In your face, Osama! We're doing this routinely while you guys are still living in huts and farming dirt & rocks.

I saw the landing on NASA TV. It was great. I love it when they hit central Florida with a big double sonic boom.

[SamAdams76]

I just viewed the landing on the TV (apparently there is some government channel dedicated to such things) and it appears to have landed properly. However, a lot of vehicles are surrounding the landed shuttle and people seem to be milling about, in a general kind of way.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

On the Discovery Channel, they said that the shuttle has the same aerodynamic characteristics as a pair of plyers.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Call me crazy, I love watching the launch and landing of the shuttle on TV. I like to watch the stuff they do in space, too, but that's just me...

[Tennessee_Bob]

Just showed this picture to my daughter: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/images/NASA/nasa3.jpeg and explained to her that I remember watching them launch on television - watching them land on the moon, getting to stay up late and see what all was going on. My dad was in the Air Force, but was involved with the Apollo Missions. Three of my prize possessions are photographs from the first moon landing. Dad had a friend in the photo section that was responsible for developing the pictures that the astronauts brought home. The pictures were eventually released as lithographs, but mine have "Kodak Paper" on the backs where he developed them.