Space Shuttle Discovery Landing Live Thread (06/14/08 11:02 AM EDT)

06/13/08 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

It was a good mission and I'm glad to see the ISS is taking shape. As for the object, not a big deal. My advice for everyone here, before going crazy over something minor or if something goes wrong, listen to NASA, not the media.

[KevinDavis]

[RightWhale]

listen to NASA, not the media

Which is the entertainment culture industry? Guess it isn't NASA.

[KevinDavis]

One thing I have learned is the media tends to overreact...

[Ladysmith]

mark

[RightWhale]

The media also tends to miss the point. They use the five w’s and the h to excess, especially the why, which should not be used at all. Damn Kipling.

[cripplecreek]

For the panic stricken.br>

[higgmeister]

bump

[colorado tanker]

Yep, I’d like to be on the list.

[Textide]

Got to see the shuttle trailing the ISS when I got home from work the other day. Two beautiful silent dots, illuminated by a freshly set sun, passed directly overhead against a darkening but starless deep blue sky.

Aside from a launch or the reentry, one of the cooler space things I've ever seen. Here's hoping for an uneventful entry tomorrow (Metal strap or no).

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

The shuttle Discovery is in good shape and ready for landing Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center to close out a successful space station assembly mission, entry Flight Director Richard Jones said today. The Spaceflight Meteorology Group at the Johnson Space Center in Houston is predicting near ideal conditions for the first of two landing opportunities Saturday.

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Not true the Shuttle is leaving a trail of trim parts and other debris like an old Dodge truck

[KevinDavis]

I think a sheppard’s prayer is being spoken right now and I’m talking the Alan Sheppard one..

[ETL]

From NASA.gov:

Discovery Cleared, Landing Set for Saturday

"After completing a standard day-before-landing test of the shuttle steering jets, the crew members indicated they had seen an object floating away from the shuttle from behind the rear portion of the right wing. Shortly afterwards, the crew members described what they called a 'bump' on the left side trailing edge of Discovery's rudder.

Experts on the ground examined images and video of the object and the 'bump' and determined that there were no concerns for entry and landing. Therefore, the Mission Management Team cleared the shuttle for entry."

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

[colorado tanker]

Yeah, that’s what I saw reported on MSN this morning.

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

the shuttle will cross Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, skirt the west coast of Cuba and cross the Florida coast south of Fort Myers. Approaching the Florida spaceport from the southwest, Kelly will guide Discovery through a sweeping left overhead turn to line up on runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center. Touchdown is expected at 11:15 p.m.

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That would be 7:15 Alaska time, and the events should begin about an hour ahead of that.

[ETL]

Here are the ground tracks for the landing.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts124/news/landing.html

[AmusedBystander]

As for the object, not a big deal.

I always get a chuckle when something falls off and they say it doesn't matter. If it didn't matter why is there in the first place? An $8,000 clip that doesn't do anything.

[airforceF4]

I'd like to be on your list. Thank you. My dad knew several of the Mercury 7 since they were the best pilots and trained at Edwards AFB, where he also worked. Some of the fellas trained @ WPAFB, AFIT. Gus Grissom was a friend of the family.

[GRRRRR]

I think it lands on SAT AM...

From the NASA website:

Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday.

[Marak]

Please add me to the ping list.