Space Shuttle Landing Live Thread(Update: 2d Pass on landing. Weather unstable. 24 Hour extension)

08/07/05 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

Well since the Space Shuttle is landing at 4:45 am, I figure I start a live thread now (I won't be awake)...

[don-o]

I sure hope I have not set off bad karma here. Was not my intention :)

I dunno if sleep will come for me tonight - may have to take a day tomorrow.

[RightWhale]

I remembers John Glenn's first flight in the Mercury. When the capsule was reentering there was a communications blackout, which had not been explained to the listening audience beforehand, and it was a while until communication with the capsule was restored. I wouldn't doubt that everybody listening at that time had visions of the whole thing burning up like a meteor. What a relief when they had him again!

[newzjunkey]

Little early with the live thread, aren't we? Is there any chance of seeing it streak across the sky towards landing for West Coasters?

[AVNevis]

"Is there any chance of seeing it streak across the sky towards landing for West Coasters?"

No, it's coming in from the SSW, so over Cuba and Central America.

[KevinDavis]

I believe in starting it early....

[bonfire]

should we use the ping list for this?

[newzjunkey]

No question that they don't want to be able to have public viewing, recover wreckage and people pieces like with Columbia. Suspicious and foolish. If something goes wrong, you'd think they'd *want* to be able to study the debris field. Oh well, let's hope for a clean landing. I guess I'll watch NASA tv is local cable puts it on.

[leadpenny]

If there is any Karma involved it is the good Karma of seeing those seven Russian sailors brought to the surface yesterday.

I have tomorrow off but I don't have NASA-TV anymore, so I'm going to get a few hour of shuteye before I try to get an internet connection. The 24/7 cable stations will probably be connected. I just hope they shut their yappers so we can listen to the NASA controllers.

[silentknight]

Yeah Comcast Cable doesn't have NASA Television here either. I put a satellite up last week just so I could watch that channel. Heh I will use Comcast for everything else I guess...they do have nice high speed! heh

[leadpenny]

Thanks for starting this thread.

[KevinDavis]

Well one of the reasons why we are going to dump comcrap is that we are getting few channels at a high price...

[FReepaholic]

...Some speculate that the landing path was moved over the Gulf of Mexico to prevent endangering people...

The landing path is determined by the orbit inclination.

The ISS is on a 50 something degree inclination (for the Russians sake).

If you noticed the launch, the vehicle went way North in order to reach this inclination.

For non-ISS mission, the inclination is in the 30-something degree range

[KevinDavis]

Sure thing.. One of the reasons is that I started early is that:
1. For the freepers who are awake during the landing
2. For the freepers who are asleep during the landing
3. So I could notify the the space ping list...

[CounterCounterCulture]

Now would be a good time to pray for the crew if you haven't already. Just speak blessings on them.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

I am 13 miles northwest of Orlando. I will be looking southeast, I suppose, since I heard it is coming in over Nicaraugua, Cuba, etc.

Does any Floridian out there have a URL that shows the landing path it will be taking as it flies near Orlando?

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Is there any chance of seeing it streak across the sky towards landing for West Coasters?

Not this time. Will be coming in over Nicaraugua then Cuba then Florida.

[leadpenny]

Why was Columbia coming over the west coast?

[markman46]

I believe that MCC was sure that the land bag was deployed and they kept the retro-pack on through reentry. Made for a longer comm blackout

[don-o]

that shows the landing path it will be taking as it flies near Orlando?

It's on this thread

[KevinDavis]

I think it had to do with orbital positioning.....