Space Shuttle is due to land today! Let's all wish them good luck...

[originalpckelly]

and send them good vibes!

They've already had to pass up a landing opportunity in Florida, and the next one is at Edwards AFB or White Sands Space Harbor.

[Missy M]

1. Do you know approximately what time it is supposed to land?

[originalpckelly]

2. Here:

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

They'll be changing that to keep up with the various opportunities for a landing. Looks like it could be a White Sands landing in the next window of opportunity, or Florida and/or Edwards a little later.

Right now, they have a Shuttle Training Aircraft out testing out a possible landing at Edwards to see if the landing would be too difficult.

[Missy M]

3. Thanks for the info....

I love to watch the landings.

[originalpckelly]

5. Me too.

Last time when they showed the view from inside the cockpit, I thought that was really cool.

[Howardx]

4. edwards!

hopefully!

[Shipwack]

6. Edwards is looking good...

Weather here in Florida is not particularly good right now...

Another link...

http://www.floridatoday.com/floridatoday/blogs/spaceteam/

[northofdenali]

22. Where in Florida are you?

My mom's in Merritt Island, loves watching the liftoffs from her house.

Looks like it will be a KSC landing after all. "STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky fired Discovery’s jets at 4:26 p.m. EST to begin the descent to Kennedy Space Center for a 5:32 p.m. landing." From the NASA website just now.

[Shipwack]

27. I'm in Cocoa

Near Brevard community College. I used to live on MI, though.

Heard the sonic booms earlier. Some days I just love living in Florida.

[northofdenali]

28. I went to BCC back in the day...........

long time ago, though! Haven't been to Brevard since 1995, but I still miss the beach at 10th Street South.

[originalpckelly]

7. Like I said they had a NASA Space Shuttle Trainer out there...

testing the winds to see if it was too hard to land the Shuttle. Florida basically looks out of the picture. And if Edwards' wind conditions don't change, then White Sands might just be a possibility.

Just heard them say they were still debating landing sites. For right now they are shooting for Edwards'

[originalpckelly]

8. I love the desert, so beautiful.

They keep showing White Sands and Edwards, both are so beautiful.

[Parche]

9. space shuttle

Why cant Capt Kirk just beam them to Florida???

[originalpckelly]

10. "Scotty I need those transporters now!"

:-)

[Az]

11. Shuttles fly on good engineering and funding

Not luck. If we are relying on luck then they are boned already. But I take your point as it is meant. Everyone hopes for the best.

[originalpckelly]

12. Yes...

but we could use all the luck when it comes to weather. :P

[shadowknows69]

13. Houston, we have good vibes

being sent by Star Trek transporter this very second.

[originalpckelly]

14. They've waved off Edwards for unpredictable winds.

They've set up the Shuttle computers for a landing at KSC. KSC weather is even worse than Edwards, so it doesn't look good.

[Az]

15. Ha!

When I read your subject line I thought at first it was some snipe at John Edwards. :rofl:

[originalpckelly]

16. What sort of "winds" did you think I was talking about?

:shrug:

[Az]

21. Hot air

The usual political jab. :D

[Ryano42]

17. Come see us in New Mexico!

We have yummy food! :hi:



You can put your leftovers in the payload bay!

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I hope they'll be okay...

As I posted elsewhere, we here in Anchorage have a special stake in this flight since the pilot, Bill Ofelein is from here. He went to the same high school as my daughters.

[northofdenali]

23. Blue, did you get to hear his radio address to the kids in

Southcentral? I missed it, but am told it was a terrific Q&A session.

Go, go, go, Pilot Bill! (Hey, if ANY pilot can bring the shuttle in under difficult weather circumstances, it'll be an ALASKAN pilot!!) :P

[Blue_In_AK]

29. I didn't hear the radio address,

but I watched part of the teleconference the astronauts did with the kids down in Soldotna. What a great experience for those kids. I'm very impressed with Mr. O, and I agree, if anybody can pilot in bad weather, I'm sure he can. :)

ed. That was meant to respond to YOU, NOD, not myself.

[mockmonkey]

19. Going to land at Kennedy Space Center

at 5:32 EST

[karlrschneider]

20. No, they're going to Kennedy in Florida. More info here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2967625

[uppityperson]

24. good luck, NASA website says beginning descent in 5 minutes

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

[northofdenali]

25. Shuttle is landed & all is well!!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

[Mojorabbit]

26. Shook a lamp right

off hubby's desk. and I am in Orlando!

[Blue_In_AK]

30. Woo-hoo:

Just like you said, NOD ... Alaska pilots ROCK.

[northofdenali]

31. I don't think some of our Bush runways could quite handle this:

But our pilots sure can!!