News From Space!

After Florida’s weather forced NASA to cancel both of today’s landing opportunities, Atlantis’ orbit will be tweaked to allow for an additional landing shot tomorrow. NASA reports:

Bad Weather Pushes STS-117 Landing to Friday

Image above: A camera atop the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., captured this view of the Shuttle Landing Facility on Thursday. Image credit: NASA TV

The STS-117 crew is getting an extra day in space thanks to poor weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Space shuttle Atlantis has five landing opportunities available Friday, with the first at 2:18 p.m. EDT in Florida.

The first opportunity Friday is on Orbit 218 and calls for a deorbit burn at 1:16 p.m. The second is on Orbit 219, with the deorbit burn at 2:52 p.m. and landing at 3:54 p.m. at Kennedy.

If Florida weather does not cooperate, three opportunities are available at Edwards. The first is on Orbit 219. This afternoon, the crew will adjust Atlantis’ orbit to set the stage for this opportunity, which has the deorbit burn occurring at 2:46 p.m. and landing at 3:49 p.m.

The second opportunity for the California base is on Orbit 220. The deorbit burn would occur at 4:21 p.m. and landing at 5:24 p.m. The final opportunity is one orbit later which calls for the deorbit burn to occur at 5:58 p.m. and landing at 6:59 p.m.

Friday’s weather forecast for Kennedy calls for the threat of thunderstorms in the area and high winds are a possibility at Edwards. Opportunities are also available Saturday.

Check the collection of mission news videos at Local6.com.

The first day of summer means an extra day on-orbit. Showers and clouds forced NASA to wave off the second of today’s landing attempts. NASA reports:

Atlantis Return Delayed Until Friday

The STS-117 crew is getting an extra day in space thanks to poor weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Space shuttle Atlantis has four landing opportunities available Friday, with the first at 2:16 p.m. EDT in Florida.

Thunderstorms in the vicinity of Kennedy forced flight controllers to wave off both opportunities today. Controllers and the Spaceflight Meteorology Group will closely monitor forecasts for Friday’s opportunities in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The first opportunity Friday is on Orbit 218 and calls for a deorbit burn at 1:14 p.m. The second is on Orbit 219, which calls for the deorbit burn to begin at 2:50 p.m. and landing to occur at 3:51 p.m. at Kennedy.

If Florida weather does not cooperate, two opportunities are available at Edwards. The first is on Orbit 220. The deorbit burn would occur at 4:19 p.m. and landing at 5:21 p.m. The final opportunity is one orbit later with the deorbit burn at 5:55 p.m. and the landing at 6:56 p.m.

Opportunities are also available Saturday.

Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

With about an hour to go until the deorbit burn decision, a landing today appears unlikely. Atlantis has enough fuel and supplies on board to stay in orbit until Sunday. NASA reports:

Atlantis Return Delayed

Image above: STS-117 Mission Control center in Houston, Texas. Image credit: NASA/KSC

Mission Control has given STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow a wave-off for the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to bad weather. The next chance for landing at Kennedy will be at 3:30 p.m. EDT on orbit 203.

NASA flight directors will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before giving Atlantis the go-ahead to return to Earth. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered on Thursday.

Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Atlantis’ payload bay doors are closed, but the first landing attempt is a no-go.  NASA reports:

Poor Weather Delays Landing; Next Opportunity at 3:30

Image above: The Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., awaits the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis. Image credit: NASA TV

An unfavorable weather forecast at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., forced flight controllers to pass on STS-117’s first landing opportunity. Hopes now turn to the day’s second opportunity at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

The culprit is thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Shuttle Landing Facility. Flight controllers and forecasters with the Spaceflight Meteorology Group continue to monitor weather conditions at and around the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Florida spaceport.

Chief Astronaut Steve Lindsey has been providing additional weather information while flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft in the vicinity of the landing facility.

If flight controllers give STS-117 the go-ahead to land on the second opportunity, Orbit 203, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault will fire Atlantis’ thrusters at 2:25 p.m. to begin the descent to Florida.

If flight controllers wave off for second time today, opportunities are available Friday in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Live weather discussion here. NASA landing blog here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Let’s hope Thursday is Landing Day for Atlantis and her crew. Thunderstorms at KSC may thwart today’s two opportunities. Last night, NASA mission managers declared the orbiter safe for re-entry. NASA reports:

Atlantis, STS-117 Crew Set to Return to Earth

Image above: The STS-117 crew members aboard space shuttle Atlantis talk with reporters. Image credit: NASA TV
Landing day has arrived for space shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew. Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 1:55 p.m. EDT.

Forecasters and flight controllers will be monitoring the weather closely today. There is a chance of thunderstorms of the Florida spaceport.

If flight controllers elect to take the 1:55 p.m. opportunity, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault will perform the deorbit burn on Orbit 202 at 12:50 p.m. The other opportunity available on Thursday is Orbit 203, which calls for the deorbit burn at 2:25 p.m. and a 3:30 p.m. touchdown at Kennedy.

The STS-117 crew members are returning home from a construction mission to the International Space Station. They installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment and conducted four spacewalks to activate it. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.

Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

STS-117 is the 118th shuttle mission and 21st mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-118, is slated to launch in August.

Flight Day 12 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. Ground tracks here. Live discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.