The orbiter Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Sept. 26 at about 8:11 a.m. EDT, completing its 10-day STS-79 mission which was launched from KSC on Sept. 16.
Landing at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) is slated to occur on orbit 160 at a mission elapsed time of 10 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes. The deorbit burn will occur at about 7:07 a.m. Thursday.
The two KSC landing opportunities on Thursday are: 8:11 a.m. and 9:48 a.m. In the event a landing is not possible at KSC on Thursday due to weather concerns, a landing could be made at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), CA. Landing opportunities at Edwards on Thursday are at 9:40 a.m. and 11:16 a.m. EDT. If managers decide to keep Atlantis in orbit an additional day, two landing opportunities are available at KSC and two at Edwards on Friday.
The landing of Atlantis will mark the 32nd landing at KSC in the history of Space Shuttle flight. It will be the fifth landing of the Shuttle at KSC this year.
About six hours after landing at KSC, select members of the flight crew will be present for a post-mission press conference. The conference will be held at the KSC TV auditorium and carried live on NASA TV. Astronaut Shannon Lucid, returning to Earth after spending six-months on the Mir space station, will not participate in the post-mission astronaut press conference.
The Shuttle Landing Facility was built in 1975. It is 300 feet wide and 15,000 feet long with 1,000 foot overruns at each end. The strip runs northwest to southeast and is located about 3 miles northwest of the 525-foot tall Vehicle Assembly Building.
Once the orbiter is on the ground, safing operations will commence and the flight crew will prepare the vehicle for post-landing operations. The Crew Transport Vehicle (CTV) will be used to assist the crew, allowing them to leave the vehicle and remove their launch and re-entry suits easier and quicker.
The CTV and other KSC landing convoy operations have been "on-call" since the launch of Atlantis Sept. 16. The primary functions of the Space Shuttle recovery convoy are: provide immediate service to the orbiter after landing, assist crew egress, prepare the orbiter for towing to the Orbiter Processing Facility.
Convoy vehicles are stationed at the SLF's mid-point. About two hours prior to landing, convoy personnel don SCAPE suits, or Self Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble, and communications checks are made. A warming-up of coolant and purge equipment is conducted and nearly two dozen convoy vehicles are positioned to move onto the runway as quickly and as safely as possible once the orbiter coasts to a stop. When the vehicle is deemed safe of all potential explosive hazards and toxic gases, the purge and coolant umbilical access vehicles move into position at the rear of the orbiter.
Following purge and coolant operations, flight crew egress preparations will begin and the CTV will be moved into position at the crew access hatch located on the orbiter's port side. A physician will board the Shuttle and conduct a brief preliminary examination of the astronauts. The crew will then make preparations to leave the vehicle.
Following departure from the SLF, the crew will be taken to their quarters in the O&C Building, meet with their families and undergo physical examinations. The crew is scheduled to depart for JSC the day after landing.
If Atlantis lands at Edwards, an augmented KSC convoy team will be on-site to safe the vehicle, disembark the crew and move the orbiter to the Mate/Demate Device. The turnaround team will be deployed to Edwards by charter aircraft on landing day.
About 8 hours after Atlantis lands at KSC, the orbiter will be towed to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 for post-flight deservicing. Preparations will then begin for Atlantis' next mission, STS-81, currently scheduled for launch in January.
Because of the concerns with Atlantis' auxiliary power unit no. 2, managers are taking a more cautious approach to weather criteria at the prime landing sites. In general,
All criteria refer to observed and forecast weather conditions. At decision time for deorbit burn about 90 minutes before landing, weather conditions must be:
Cloud coverage of 4/8 or less below 10,000 feet
A no go consideration will be given to observed scattered cloud layers of 3/8 - 4/8 sky coverage below 10,000 feet at the deorbit burn decision time
7 miles or greater visibility
Peak cross-winds cannot exceed 10 knots
Headwinds cannot exceed 25 knots
Tailwinds cannot exceed 10 knots average, 15 knots peak
The deorbit burn shall not occur if thunderstorms, lightning or precipitation is forecast within 30 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility
At a range of 30 nautical miles, vertical clearance from the tops of rain showers or thunderstorms must be greater than three nautical miles
Detached opaque thunderstorm anvils less than three hours old must be within 20 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility, or within 10 nautical miles of the flight path when the orbiter is within 30 nautical miles of the runway
Turbulence must be light intensity or less
NOTICE TO EDITORS: Media wishing to view Atlantis' landing should be at the KSC press site between 4:30 - 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, for transport to the SLF. Other specific information is available at the KSC News Center regarding landing photo opportunities, post-landing press conferences and KSC News Center operational hours.