BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Follow the mission of space shuttle Columbia on the fourth servicing call to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Reload this page for the very latest. A text only version is also available for faster access.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2002

The space shuttle Columbia glided to a smooth touchdown today on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center to close out a surprisingly successful five-spacewalk mission to overhaul and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Read full landing story.

1130 GMT (6:30 a.m. EST)

The crew just completed the inspection of their ship on the runway along with NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. The astronauts are now headed back to crw quarters.

1018 GMT (5:18 a.m. EST)

All seven astronauts are now reported off the shuttle. They are currently inside the motorized Crew Transport Vehicle. It is expected that at least some of the astronauts will make the traditional walkaround of Columbia on the runway shortly.

Later, the astronauts will be driven to Kennedy Space Center's Operations & Checkout Building, which serves as the crew quarters, to be reunited with their families and have dinner.

Columbia will be towed off the runway to its hangar in about two hours. The shuttle's next flight is a 16-day science research flight with a Spacehab module riding in the payload bay. Liftoff of STS-107 is scheduled for July 11.

The next shuttle flight is planned for April 4 when Atlantis launches the central portion of the International Space Station's backbone truss. The shuttle will be rolled to launch pad 39B this morning.

1012 GMT (5:12 a.m. EST)

Four of the seven astronauts are now off the shuttle.

0956 GMT (4:56 a.m. EST)

Columbia's crew module hatch on the port-side of the vehicle is now open. The Crew Transport Vehicle -- a modified airport "People Mover" -- is pulled up to the hatch for the astronauts to enter. The CTV features beds and comfortable seats for the astronauts to receive medical checks after returning to Earth's gravity from the weightless environment of space.

0952 GMT (4:52 a.m. EST)

Columbia's three Auxiliary Power Units have been shut down.

0948 GMT (4:48 a.m. EST)

The shuttle's main engine nozzles have been gimbaled outward to the "rain drain" position.

0945 GMT (4:45 a.m. EST)

Mission Control has told the crew they can now remove their day-glow orange launch and entry space suits if so desired. It is expected to be at least another half-hour before the astronauts exit the shuttle.

On the runway surface, workers have arrived with instruments to "sniff" the shuttle's exterior to check for any hazardous vapors.

0938 GMT (4:38 a.m. EST)

The astronauts are going through standard post-landing safing of Columbia following a smooth touchdown today. The external tank umbilical doors on the shuttle's belly have been opened. The side hatch and drag chute pyrotechnics have been safed.

0933 GMT (4:33 a.m. EST)

WHEELS STOP. Columbia is back home at its point of origination at the Kennedy Space Center after a successful 11-day, 3.9-million mile voyage that overhauled the orbiting Hubble observatory, giving the telescope a new power system and extending its scientific reach into the Universe.

0932 GMT (4:32 a.m. EST)

TOUCHDOWN! Main gear touchdown. Drag chute deployed. Nose gear touchdown. Space shuttle Columbia rolls out on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center after the highly successful fourth servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope.

0931 GMT (4:31 a.m. EST)

Landing gear down and locked. Standing by for touchdown on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 33.

0930 GMT (4:30 a.m. EST)

"Field in sight on a beautiful night." Commander Altman reports he can see the runway as he pilots Columbia to landing at Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle descending at a rate seven times steeper than that of a commercial airliner.

0929 GMT (4:29 a.m. EST)

Three-quarters of the way around the Heading Alignment Cylinder turn. Altitude 20,000 feet.

0928 GMT (4:28 a.m. EST)

Commander Scott Altman has taken manual control of Columbia. Columbia is in the Heading Alignment Cylinder, an imaginary circle to align with Runway 33. The crew is piloting the shuttle through a 233-degree right-overhead turn. Altitude under 40,000 feet.

The sonic booms have been heard at KSC, announcing the shuttle's arrival.

0928 GMT (4:28 a.m. EST)

Pilot Duane Carey getting a few moments of stick time flying Columbia before commander Scott Altman takes over.

0927 GMT (4:27 a.m. EST)

Now five minutes from landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Mission Control has given the crew a "go" for normal drag chute deployment after main gear touchdown.

0926 GMT (4:26 a.m. EST)

Speed now Mach 2.

0925 GMT (4:25 a.m. EST)

Seven minutes to touchdown. A powerful tracking camera at the landing site has spotted Columbia. Altitude 17 miles, range to touchdown 80 miles.

0924 GMT (4:24 a.m. EST)

Air data probes have been deployed from the shuttle's nose to feed air speed, altitude and angle of attack information to the computers for navigation.

0923 GMT (4:23 a.m. EST)

Columbia has made landfall over Florida north of the Tampa area. Altitude 23 miles, descending at a rate of 280 feet per second, range to the runway 163 miles.

0922 GMT (4:22 a.m. EST)

Altitude 26 miles, velocity Mach 7.

0921 GMT (4:21 a.m. EST)

Columbia remains on the proper track with good navigation and energy for landing in 11 minutes at Kennedy Space Center. Distance less than 400 miles.

The Merritt Island tracking station at the Cape, called MILA, has locked on to signal from space shuttle Columbia. This provides more detailed navigation data for tracking the spaceplane as it streaks to touchdown at Kennedy Space Center. And the TACAN navigation units aboard Columbia are now receiving data from beacons located at the ground.

Columbia is predicted to touchdown 3,100 feet down the runway at 195 knots.

0919 GMT (4:19 a.m. EST)

Columbia is now flying over the Gulf of Mexico. Altitude 31 miles, range to touchdown 461 miles.

0918 GMT (4:18 a.m. EST)

The shuttle has crossed over southeastern Mississippi, headed for the Gulf of Mexico.

0917 GMT (4:17 a.m. EST)

Columbia now sailing over Central Louisiana. Altitude 34 miles, descending at a rate of 134 feet per second.

0916 GMT (4:16 a.m. EST)

Now 16 minutes until landing. Columbia has reversed its bank as it continues to scrub off speed. Altitude 39 miles, velocity Mach 17, range to the runway 1,000 miles.

0915 GMT (4:15 a.m. EST)

Columbia is now streaking over Central Texas.

0913 GMT (4:13 a.m. EST)

Now 19 minutes from landing. Columbia is currently over northern Mexico at an altitude of 42 miles, 1,700 miles from the runway.

0911 GMT (4:11 a.m. EST)

Columbia has now made landfall over the North America, flying 43 miles above Baja.

0909 GMT (4:09 a.m. EST)

The space shuttle is currently in the first of four steep banks to scrub off speed as it plunges into the atmosphere. These turns basically remove the energy Columbia built up during launch. Altitude is currently 45 miles, range to touchdown 2,500 miles, velocity Mach 23.

0903 GMT (4:03 a.m. EST)

Current conditions at the Kennedy Space Center runway include a few clouds at 4,000 feet, southeasterly winds at 3 knot, a temperature of 57 degrees F and relative humidity of 95 percent. Now inside a half-hour to landing.

0901 GMT (4:01 a.m. EST)

ENTRY INTERFACE. The protective tiles on the belly of Columbia are now 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 with its nose elevated 40 degrees, wings level, at an altitude of 400,000 feet, passing over the southern Pacific Ocean, about 4,200 nautical miles from the landing site, at a velocity of Mach 25, descending at a rate of over 500 feet per second.

Touchdown is set for 4:32 a.m. EST at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

0850 GMT (3:50 a.m. EST)

Now 42 minutes to touchdown. All three Auxiliary Power Units are running to supply pressure to the shuttle's hydraulic systems, which in turn move Columbia's aerosurfaces and deploy the landing gear. One unit was started prior to the deorbit burn; the others just a few moments ago. The units are only activated during the launch and landing phases of the shuttle mission.

Also, excess propellant has been dumped from the shuttle's forward reaction control system steering jets.

0837 GMT (3:37 a.m. EST)

Columbia now crossing over the northern portion of Australia. Now 55 minutes until touchdown.

The shuttle's trip home will take the craft above the Pacific Ocean on northeastward track towards Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle will make landfall above Baja, then skirt across Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi before banking over the Gulf of Mexico. Columbia will arrive in the skies of Florida north of Tampa and continue across the central portion of the state, flying just north of Orlando. Once in the vicinity of KSC, Commander Altman will perform a wide, sweeping 233-degree right-overhead turn, swinging out over the Atlantic, to align with Runway 33 -- a southeast to northwest strip.

0830 GMT (3:30 a.m. EST)

Columbia is being maneuvered from its heads-down, tail-forward position needed for the deorbit burn to the reentry configuration of heads-up and nose-forward. The nose also will be pitched upward 40 degrees. In this new position, the black tiles on the shuttle's belly will shield the spacecraft during the fiery plunge through the Earth's atmosphere with temperatures reaching 3,000 degrees F. Columbia will begin interacting with the upper fringes of the atmosphere above the South Pacific in about a half-hour.

0827 GMT (3:27 a.m. EST)

DEORBIT BURN COMPLETE. Columbia has successfully completed the deorbit burn, committing the shuttle for its journey back to Earth. Landing is scheduled for 4:32 a.m. EST at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to conclude Columbia's 27th flight.

Today's landing will be the 58th to occur at Kennedy Space Center in the history of space shuttle program. Dating back to May 1996, this will mark the 36th of the last 40 shuttle missions to land in Florida. KSC is the most used landing site for the shuttle. Edwards Air Force Base in California has seen 48 landings and White Sands in New Mexico supported one. This also will be the 19th night landing for the shuttle program; the 14th to occur at KSC.

0822 GMT (3:22 a.m. EST)

DEORBIT BURN IGNITION. Flying upside down and backwards more than 300 miles above the southeastern Indian Ocean, Columbia has begun the deorbit burn. The firing of the two orbital maneuvering system engines on the tail of the shuttle will last four minutes and four seconds, slowing the craft by about 400 feet per second, just enough to slip from orbit. The retro-burn will send Columbia to a pin-point touchdown at 4:32 a.m. EST (0932 GMT) on a runway just a few miles from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad where the shuttle lifted off 11 days ago.

0818 GMT (3:18 a.m. EST)

Pilot Duane Carey has activated one of three Auxiliary Power Units (APU No. 2) in advance of the deorbit burn, which is now four minutes away. The other two APUs will be started later (APU No. 3 then No. 1) in the descent to provide pressure needed to power shuttle's hydraulic systems that move the wing flaps, rudder/speed brake, drop the landing gear and steer the nose wheel. NASA ensures that at least one APU is working before committing to the deorbit burn since the shuttle only needs a single unit to make a safe landing.

0809 GMT (3:09 a.m. EST)

Columbia is maneuvering to the deorbit burn attitude. The shuttle is flying upside-down and backwards with its tail pointed in the direction of travel. And final configuring of the shuttle's onboard computers has been completed.

0757 GMT (2:57 a.m. EST)

GO FOR THE DEORBIT BURN! With acceptable weather at the Kennedy Space Center and no technical problems with the shuttle, entry flight director John Shannon in Mission Control has given Columbia's astronauts the "go" to perform the deorbit burn at 3:22:39 a.m. EST for landing today at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

The upcoming retrograde burn using the twin orbital maneuvering system engines on the tail of Columbia will slow the shuttle's velocity just enough to slip the craft out of orbit and begin the plunge back into the atmosphere.

Columbia is headed to a landing at 4:32 a.m. EST on Runway 33 at KSC. The landing will conclude the 10-day, 22-hour, 10-minute STS-109 mission.

0756 GMT (2:56 a.m. EST)

Columbia's vent doors have been closed for entry. Standing by for the "go" for the deorbit burn.

0740 GMT (2:40 a.m. EST)

One more full weather briefing will be given shortly to entry flight director John Shannon from the Spaceflight Meteorology Group at Johnson Space Center. Then Shannon will poll his flight control team before making the final "go/no go" decision whether to allow Columbia to perform the deorbit burn for return to Earth on schedule today. That decision is expected around the top of the hour.

The astronauts have performed a steering check of the Orbital Maneuvering System's thrust vector control in preparation for the deorbit burn, which is now 42 minutes away. And pilot Duane Carey has completed the Auxiliary Power Unit prestart, which positions switches in the cockpit in the ready-to-start configuration.

0717 GMT (2:17 a.m. EST)

The crew reports it has completed verifying the various switches in the cockpit are in the correct positions for this morning's entry. They are now preparing for an alignment of Columbia's Inertial Measurement Units.

Weather at Kennedy Space Center is observed "go" and forecast to remain that way for today's 4:23 a.m. EST landing time. There is some shallow fog that has developed, but nothing of any concern at present.

0652 GMT (1:52 a.m. EST)

Now 90 minutes away from the deorbit burn. The firing of Columbia's twin orbital maneuvering system engines on the tail of the shuttle will begin at 3:22:39 a.m. EST and last for four minutes and four seconds, according to the latest revision from flight controllers.

The braking will drop the shuttle from orbit, putting Columbia on course to fall back into the atmosphere for the hour-long glide to the Kennedy Space Center landing site.

Once in the vicinity of KSC, Commander Scott Altman will perform a wide, sweeping 233-degree right-overhead turn to align with Runway 33 -- the southeast to northwest approach. Touchdown is expected at 4:32 a.m. EST.

Chief NASA astronaut Charlie Precourt is currently flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft around the Cape area to evaluate weather conditions. He feeds his observations to Mission Control as input on the weather before committing the shuttle for its return to Earth.

0645 GMT (1:45 a.m. EST)

At this point in the deorbit preparation timeline, the crew should be conducting an entry procedures review. Then commander Altman and pilot Carey will don their day-glow orange launch and entry suits and strap into their seats. The five mission specialists will suit up in about a half-hour.

0622 GMT (1:22 a.m. EST)

Columbia's computers have now completed the transition to the OPS-3 landing software package.

0604 GMT (1:04 a.m. EST)

Mission Control just told the crew that the solar array latches and equipment are in a good configuration for landing.

0600 GMT (1:00 a.m. EST)

Officials have looked at the TV images from Columbia to examine the one solar array latch. This does not appear to be a concern for landing this morning.

So Mission Control has given commander Scott Altman a "go" to transition Columbia's onboard computers from the OPS-2 software used during the shuttle's stay in space to OPS-3, which is the software package that governs entry and landing.

And Columbia will soon maneuver to a new orientation in space to improve the communications link with NASA's orbiting data relay satellites.

0554 GMT (12:54 a.m. EST)

Columbia's clam-shell-like payload bay doors have been closed and locked in preparation for this morning's fiery descent into Earth's atmosphere and landing at Kennedy Space Center. Touchdown scheduled for 4:23 a.m. EST.

Some live TV through the shuttle's S-band communications system is expected momentarily so flight controllers can take a look at what commander Altman was reporting -- whether it is one of the array latches or a retention pin. There are four latches that hold each array to a carrier in the payload bay for the trip home, NASA says. Altman radioed the ground a short time ago that one of the latches might have shifted slightly, something he noted during an inspection of the bay.

0552 GMT (12:52 a.m. EST)

Columbia's port-side payload bay door is now shut.

0546 GMT (12:46 a.m. EST)

Mission specialists John Grunsfeld and Jim Newman have begun the procedures to close Columbia's payload bay doors.

Meanwhile, the payload systems officer in Mission Control believes it is possible what commander Scott Altman is seeing is a payload retention pin and not the actual latch that has shifted in position.

0534 GMT (12:34 a.m. EST)

Columbia commander Scott Altman reports that one of the latches holding one of Hubble's old solar arrays in the payload bay appears to have shifted slightly. The array is mounted on a cargo carrier in the front of the bay for return to Earth. Flight controllers are hoping to get some live TV from the shuttle in about 20 minutes as Columbia sails over the tracking station near Kennedy Space Center to take a look at the latch.

Meanwhile, entry preparations continue as scheduled. Closure of the payload bay doors in about 10 minutes away.

Weather at Kennedy Space Center remains favorable.

0315 GMT (10:15 p.m. EST Mon.)

Space shuttle Columbia and her crew of seven astronauts are heading for a nighttime touchdown at Kennedy Space Center's three-mile long runway this morning to cap a highly successful mission to service and extend the scientific reach of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The weather forecast for the 4:32 a.m. EST (0932 GMT) landing on Runway 33 is favorable with just a few clouds at 3,500 and 25,000 feet, seven miles visibility and southeasterly winds from 140 degrees at 5 gusting to 8 knots.

A backup landing opportunity is available one orbit later with touchdown at 6:13 a.m. EST. The weather forecast, however, calls for a chance of a low-cloud ceiling at 3,500 feet for the later orbit.

The alternate landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California is not called up for support tonight. So if the weather somehow is unacceptable for both Kennedy opportunities, Columbia would remain in space for another day.

The deorbit preparation timeline will begin at 11:22 p.m., to be followed by the closure of Columbia's payload bay doors at 12:42 a.m. A final "go/no go" to brake from orbit by entry flight director John Shannon is expected at around 3 a.m.

If approval is given for the deorbit burn, Columbia's twin orbital maneuvering system engines will fire for about four minutes and six seconds beginning at 3:22:42 a.m. EST, slowing the ship by 417 feet per second, just enough to drop from orbit for the 70-minute powerless glide to a pin-point landing. Columbia will hit the top of atmosphere at 4:00 a.m. at an altitude of 408,000 feet.

Watch this page for complete updates throughout the night.

MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2002

The Columbia astronauts tested the shuttle's re-entry systems early today, firing up one of the ship's hydraulic units, test firing steering jets and calibrating cockpit instruments to make sure everything's ship-shape for landing Tuesday. Touchdown is targeted for 4:32 a.m. EST at Kennedy Space Center. Read our full landing preview story.

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0730 GMT (2:30 a.m. EST)

The checkout of Columbia's flight control systems -- the ship's hydraulics, aerosurfaces, nose wheel steering and rotational hand controller -- is currently underway by commander Scott Altman, pilot Duane Carey and flight engineer Nancy Currie. Shortly, the crew will test fire the shuttle's thrusters for a test of the reaction control system. All of this work is being performed to ensure Columbia is functioning properly for Tuesday's descent and landing.

NASA plans to only call upon the prime landing site at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday. If weather prevents a homecoming tomorrow in Florida, then both KSC and the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California will be available on Wednesday. Here is a look at the landing opportunities for Tuesday and Wednesday (all times are EST):

Tuesday
ORBIT...SITE....DEORBIT IGNITION...LANDING
165.....KSC.....03:22 a.m..........04:32 a.m.
166.....KSC.....05:05 a.m..........06:13 a.m.

Wednesday
ORBIT...SITE....DEORBIT IGNITION...LANDING
179.....KSC.....01:30 a.m..........02:40 a.m.
180.....EDW.....03:01 a.m..........04:12 a.m.
........KSC.....03:12 a.m..........04:21 a.m.
181.....EDW.....04:43 a.m..........05:52 a.m.

The early weather forecast for KSC on Tuesday calls for generally favorable conditions. Meteorologists will be watching the possible development of rainshowers around the space center, however.

0125 GMT (8:25 p.m. EST Sun.)

The astronauts have just been awakened for their final full day in space. They will spend the day packing up the crew cabin and testing the shuttle's reentry systems in preparation for Tuesday's predawn landing at Kennedy Space Center. Touchdown is targeted for approximately 4:30 a.m. EST.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2002

Despite advances in adaptive optics and the advent of truly huge ground-based observatories, the Hubble Space Telescope, with its relatively modest 94.5-inch mirror, will remain at the forefront of science for years to come, says John Grunsfeld, Columbia's resident astronomer-astronaut. Read full story.

0500 GMT (12:00 a.m. EST)

After an extremely hectic week with five consecutive days of spacewalks to service the Hubble Space Telescope, the seven Columbia astronauts are taking Sunday off to rest and relax in orbit.

The crew was awakened at about 9:50 p.m. EST by a recording of Frank Sinatra singing "Fly Me To The Moon."

At about 3:15 a.m. EST a ship-to-ship chat with the crew of the International Space Station will be attempted. Some news interviews are also on the schedule at 7:47 a.m. EST.

Other than those events, the Columbia crew will get the opportunity to enjoy the view and talk with their families and friends.

On Monday the shuttle will be packed up and ready for return to Earth. Landing is slated for 4:37 a.m. EST on Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center. The early weather forecast is generally favorable.

Read our earlier status center coverage.