Space Shuttle Discovery Landing Live Thread (Wednesday Nov 7th 1:02 pm EST)

11/06/2007 | Kevin Davis

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

1717 GMT (12:17 p.m. EST)

Discovery has crossed the equator as it flies over the Pacific.

1715 GMT (12:15 p.m. EST)

Onboard guidance has maneuvered Discovery from its heads-down, tail-forward position needed for the deorbit burn to the reentry configuration of heads-up and nose-forward. The nose will be pitched upward 40 degrees. In this new position, the black tiles on the shuttle’s belly and the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on the wing leading edges and nose cap will shield the spacecraft during the fiery plunge through the Earth’s atmosphere with temperatures reaching well over 2,000 degrees F. Discovery will begin interacting with the upper fringes of the atmosphere above the North Pacific at 12:30 p.m. EST.

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Still dark, clear, and 11 degrees here, but we won’t see the Shuttle anyway.

[cornfedcowboy]

got it watching now

[cornfedcowboy]

maybe not?

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com
1721 GMT (12:21 p.m. EST)

Now 40 minutes to touchdown. Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility was built in 1975. The concrete strip is 300 feet wide and 15,000 feet long with 1,000-foot overruns at each end. The runway is located about three miles northwest of the 525-foot tall Vehicle Assembly Building.

Discovery is targeting Runway 33, which is the southeast to northwest approach. The shuttle will make a 195-degree overhead turn to align with the runway.

This will be the first daytime landing on Runway 33 since 2002.

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Been reading Hoagland’s latest book. I doubt everything NASA says. This is beyond question not the dirst daytime landing on 33 since 2002, but the 33 is especially significant, right, Richard?

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com
1731 GMT (12:31 p.m. EST)

The shuttle is about 5,000 miles from the runway now.

1730 GMT (12:30 p.m. EST)

ENTRY INTERFACE. Discovery’s thermal protection system is feeling heat beginning to build as the orbiter enters the top fringes of the atmosphere — a period known as entry interface.

The shuttle is flying at Mach 25 with its nose elevated 40 degrees, wings level, at an altitude of 400,000 feet over the northern Pacific Ocean.

Touchdown remains set for 1:01 p.m. EST in Florida.

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Touchdown is pretty well determined and unalterable from this point on.

[La Enchiladita]

Alt.: 285,000 ft.
Speed: 17,000 mph

Over northern Pacific Ocean now.

[La Enchiladita]

Needs to slow down pretty soon, right?

[Eye of Unk]

Its at 15,000mph now, just west of Canada.

[cornfedcowboy]

Thanks. Clear as a bell in Kansas. Any timing tips and where in the sky to look is appreciated much.

[hoagy62]

Long, slow turns and the Earth’s atmosphere will accomplish that.

[SE Mom]

Yeppers, it sure does..

It’s a gorgeous day here!

[BritExPatInFla]

Here’s the timeline:

11:59:12 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 147 mph; dT: 1:58)
12:01:10 PM...Deorbit burn complete (alt: 223.3 sm)

12:30:05 PM...Entry interface (alt: 75.8 sm; vel: 16,979 mph)
12:35:24 PM...1st roll command to left
12:44:14 PM...1st left to right roll reversal
12:48:00 PM...C-band radar acquisition
12:55:16 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt: 83,700 feet)
12:57:28 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt: 51,200 feet)
12:58:47 PM...Shuttle banks to line up on runway
(alt: 32,200 feet; 192-degree right turn)
01:01:50 PM...Landing on runway 33

[La Enchiladita]

Yes, she’s been describing the banking procedures to “burn off excess speed.”

[Eye of Unk]

Coming over Montana now.

[hoagy62]

Now back over American soil...

[La Enchiladita]

YES!!!

[cornfedcowboy]

waiting north of wichita.

[RightWhale]

Look now and for the next few minutes.

[Eye of Unk]

This is the most crucial phase.

[La Enchiladita]

Sorry, don’t think will pass over Wichita...