Spaceflight Now




Weather poses challenge for Wednesday landing
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: September 19, 2006

An approaching front is expected to bring high winds and possible thunder showers to Florida's Space Coast early Wednesday, threatening NASA's plans to bring the shuttle Atlantis back to Earth after a successful space station construction mission.


Credit: NASA
 
Entry flight director Steve Stich said if the weather doesn't cooperate, the astronauts will remain in orbit an additional day and make another attempt to get back to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday.

The shuttle has enough on-board supplies to stay in space until Saturday, but the forecast for Thursday and Friday calls for good weather.

"The weather outlook for tomorrow is not as promising as I would like," Stich told reporters today. "The front that came through the Houston area Sunday and yesterday will be in the Kennedy Space Center area on landing day. So our forecast is for crosswinds out of limits on our first rev, which is a night opportunity, and also some showers within 30 miles and the possibility of some low ceilings. So we'll have to deal with that.

"The weather forecasters tell me they think the front will be through there right around the time between these two deorbit opportunities. So we'll watch the weather very carefully and if it's a good day to land we'll do so and if the weather doesn't meet our criteria, we'll have to go around again and try to land Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center. The forecast for Thursday and Friday calls for light winds and no threatening showers. Stich said that could change if the front stalls over Florida, but assuming it keeps moving as forecasters expect, NASA's strategy will be to make landing attempts in Florida only Wednesday and Thursday before activating the agency's backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for attempts Friday, on one coast or the other, if needed.

The first landing opportunity Wednesday calls for a deorbit rocket firing, on orbit 170, at 4:52:08 a.m. and a pre-sunrise landing at 5:59:19 a.m. after an approach up the east coast of Florida. The forecast calls for a possible broken cloud deck at 5,000 feet, a chance of thundershowers within 30 nautical miles and crosswinds peaking at 15 knots. The crosswind limit for a pre-dawn landing is 12 knots.

The second landing opportunity calls for a deorbit rocket firing one orbit later at 6:27:02 a.m. and a landing at 7:33:39 a.m. The forecast remains roughly the same, but the crosswind limit goes up to 15 knots for a daylight landing.

"There are rain showers and thunderstorms out in front of the front and so basically whether Wednesday is a good opportunity or not is going to depend on the front passage," astronaut Tony Antonelli radioed the crew from mission control in Houston.

"The models have the front passing between the two revs. We'll take a look at it when we come in tomorrow and see. We're going to try to be smart with the timeline. If it looks like we have a chance, we're going to press all the way through deorbit prep. If it looks early like we don't have a chance, then we'll try to knock it off early so we don't waste your efforts."

"OK, Tony, we appreciate the information," Atlantis commander Brent Jett replied. "Obviously, we're ready to do whatever you guys need and we'll be ready to go tomorrow if the weather's good."

Here's a timeline of re-entry activities for both Wednesday landing opportunities (in EDT; includes final approach and docking of the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft at the international space station):


TIME/EDT		ORBIT 170 OPPORTUNITY TO KSC
_________________________________________________________________

12:30:00 AM  (NASA TV coverage of Soyuz docking begins)
12:37:00 AM  Mission control weather briefing
12:52:00 AM  Begin deorbit timeline
01:04:00 AM  (Soyuz fly-around of space station begins)
01:07:00 AM  Radiator stow
01:15:00 AM  (Soyuz final approach begins)
01:17:00 AM  Mission specialists seat installation
01:23:00 AM  Computers set for deorbit prep
01:24:00 AM  (Soyuz TMA-9 docks with space station)
01:27:00 AM  Hydraulic system configuration
01:40:00 AM  Post-docking news conference at Russian control center
01:52:00 AM  Flash evaporator cooling system checkout
02:07:00 AM  Mission control "go" for payload bay door closing
02:12:00 AM  Payload bay doors closed
02:22:00 AM  Mission control 'go' for OPS-3 entry software load
02:32:00 AM  OPS-3 transition
02:57:00 AM  Entry switch list verification
03:07:00 AM  Deorbit rocket firing update
03:12:00 AM  Crew entry review
03:27:00 AM  Jett/Ferguson don entry suits
03:44:00 AM  Navigation unit alignment
03:52:00 AM  Jett/Ferguson strap in; other crew members don suits
04:09:00 AM  Shuttle steering check
04:10:00 AM  (NASA coverage of Soyuz hatch opening begins)
04:12:00 AM  Hydraulic power unit prestart
04:19:00 AM  Toilet deactivation
04:27:00 AM  Vent doors closed for entry
04;30:00 AM  (Russian TV coverage of Soyuz hatch opening)
04:32:00 AM  Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
04:38:00 AM  Astronauts strap in
04:43:00 AM  (End of Russian TV coverage of Soyuz activities)
04:47:00 AM  Single hydraulic power unit start
04:48:00 AM  TDRS-West comsat acquisition of signal
04:52:08 AM  Deorbit ignition
04:54:52 AM  Deorbit burn complete 
05:27:42 AM  Altitude 400,000 feet; shuttle in discernible atmosphere
05:32:12 AM  (STS-107: EI+4:30 - 1st unusual data)
05:32:40 AM  1st roll command to left
05:43:38 AM  (STS-107: EI+15:56 - Last valid data)
05:47:41 AM  1st left-to-right roll reversal
05:52:45 AM  Velocity less than Mach 2.5
05:54:58 AM  Velocity less than Mach 1
05:56:09 AM  Shuttle banks around heading alignment cylinder
05:59:19 AM  Landing on runway 15

TIME/EDT  ORBIT 171 OPPORTUNITY TO KSC
_________________________________________________________________

06:07:00 AM  MCC 'go' for deorbit burn
06:13:00 AM  Astronaut seat ingress
06:22:00 AM  Single hydraulic power unit start
06:27:02 AM  Deorbit ignition
06:29:47 AM  Deorbit burn complete
07:02:02 AM  Altitude 400,000 feet
07:06:32 AM  (STS-107: EI+4:30 - 1st unusual data)
07:06:56 AM  1st roll command to left
07:16:30 AM  1st left-to-right roll reversal
07:17:58 AM  (STS-107: EI+15:56 - Last valid data)
07:27:07 AM  Velocity less than Mach 2.5
07:29:18 AM  Velocity less than Mach 1
07:29:53 AM  Shuttle on the heading alignment cylinder
07:33:39 AM  Landing on runway 33
If the weather doesn't cooperate, the astronauts will have multiple landing opportunities Thursday and Friday at the Kennedy Space Center, Edwards Air Force Base and Northrup Strip near White Sands, N.M., if worst comes to worst. Here are all the possible landing opportunities through Saturday (all times in EDT):


DATE    ORBIT    D/O BURN   LANDING    SITE

09/20   170      04:52 AM   05:59 AM   Kennedy Space Center
09/20   171      06:27 AM   07:34 AM   KSC

09/21   186      05:14 AM   06:22 AM   KSC
09/21   187      06:46 AM   07:54 AM   Northrup Strip
09/21   187      06:50 AM   07:57 AM   KSC
09/21   188      08:20 AM   09:27 AM   Edwards Air Force Base
09/21   188      08:22 AM   09:29 AM   NOR
09/21   189      09:56 AM   11:03 AM   EDW

09/22   201      04:02 AM   05:10 AM   KSC
09/22   202      05:37 AM   06:45 AM   KSC
09/22   203      07:07 AM   08:15 AM   EDW
09/22   203      07:09 AM   08:16 AM   NOR
09/22   204      08:43 AM   09:50 AM   EDW
09/22   204      08:45 AM   09:52 AM   NOR
09/22   205      10:19 AM   11:26 AM   EDW

09/23   217      04:24 AM   05:32 AM   KSC
09/23   218      05:56 AM   07:03 AM   NOR
09/23   218      06:00 AM   07:08 AM   KSC
09/23   219      07:30 AM   08:37 AM   EDW
09/23   219      07:32 AM   08:39 AM   NOR
09/23   220      09:06 AM   10:13 AM   EDW

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S STATUS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: STATION BACKDROPPED BY BLACK SPACE PLAY
VIDEO: STATION SLIDES BY EARTH'S HORIZON PLAY
VIDEO: SPACE STATION FLYAROUND BY ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS UNDOCKS FROM THE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: HATCHWAY CLOSED FOR UNDOCKING PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS BID FAREWELL PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DIRECTOR EXPLAINS UNDOCKING PLAY

VIDEO: LAUNCH AS SEEN BY HIGH-ALTITUDE WB-57 AIRCRAFT PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: STARBOARD INWARD PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: STARBOARD UPWARD PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: STARBOARD DOWNWARD PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: PORT INWARD PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: PORT UPWARD PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CAM: PORT DOWNWARD PLAY

VIDEO: FIRST SOLAR WING DEPLOYED HALF-WAY PLAY
VIDEO: SECOND SOLAR WING EXTENDED ONE SECTION PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST SOLAR WING EXTENDED ONE SECTION PLAY

VIDEO: POST-EVA 2 STATUS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: PORT 3/PORT 4 TRUSS KEEL PIN REMOVED AND STOWED PLAY
VIDEO: HELMETCAM OF BURBANK REMOVING SARJ RESTRAINT PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS PAUSE FOR PICTURE TIME PLAY
VIDEO: STEVE MACLEAN REPORTS LOST BOLT PLAY
VIDEO: ROTARY JOINT LOCK REMOVED BY SPACEWALKER PLAY
VIDEO: STEP-BY-STEP PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 2 PLAY
VIDEO: POST-EVA 1 STATUS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: TANNER LOSES BOLT DURING ROTARY JOINT WORK PLAY
VIDEO: PIPER UNFOLDS SOLAR BLANKET BOXES SHORT | FULL
VIDEO: SECOND WING'S STRUCTURE DEPLOYED BY PIPER PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST SOLAR WING'S STRUCTURE DEPLOYED BY TANNER PLAY
VIDEO: STEP-BY-STEP PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 1 PLAY
VIDEO: TRUSS HANDED FROM SHUTTLE ARM TO STATION ARM PLAY
VIDEO: ARM MANEUVERS TRUSS OVER SHUTTLE WING PLAY
VIDEO: TRUSS SLOWLY LIFTED OUT OF PAYLOAD BAY PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS' ARM GRAPPLES THE TRUSS PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: ATLANTIS WELCOMED ABOARD THE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: DOCKING REPLAY FROM CAMERA ON SHUTTLE ARM PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ATLANTIS DOCKS TO THE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS' BREATH-TAKING FLIP MANEUVER PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S CAMCORDER FOOTAGE OF EXTERNAL TANK PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION PREVIEWING TRUSS UNBERTHING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION PREVIEWING THE DOCKING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF PAYLOAD BAY CONFIGURATION PLAY
MORE: STS-115 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

VIDEO: BRIEFING ON TANK'S PERFORMANCE DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: TANK'S ONBOARD CAMERA LIFTOFF TO SEPARATION PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DIRECTOR EXPLAINS INSPECTIONS PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING DIAL-UP | BROADBAND

VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS! PLAY
VIDEO: SHEDDING FOAM MAY HAVE HIT ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: ONBOARD VIEW OF EXTERNAL TANK SEPARATION PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: STATION CREW TOLD VISITORS EN ROUTE PLAY
VIDEO: HOUSTON RADIOS DEBRIS REPORT TO CREW PLAY
VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: QUICK-LOOK BRIEFING ON DEBRIS DIAL-UP | BROADBAND

LAUNCH REPLAYS:
VIDEO: BEACH MOUND TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: CAMERA IN FRONT OF PAD PLAY
VIDEO: BANANA CREEK VIEWING SITE PLAY
VIDEO: VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING ROOF PLAY
VIDEO: PAD 39B SIDE PERIMETER PLAY
VIDEO: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: PLAYALINDA BEACH ZOOM PLAY
VIDEO: UCS 23 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: UCS 11 TRACKER PLAY

VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST 4 STEVE MACLEAN BOARDS ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST 3 HEIDE PIPER BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST 2 DAN BURBANK BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST 1 JOE TANNER BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: PILOT CHRIS FERGUSON BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: COMMANDER BRENT JETT BOARDS PLAY

VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS EMERGE FROM CREW QUARTERS PLAY
VIDEO: CREW SUITS UP FOR LAUNCH TO SPACE PLAY
VIDEO: FINAL INSPECTION TEAM CHECKS ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS READY FOR SECOND LAUNCH TRY PLAY
MORE: STS-115 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

STS-115 patch
The official crew patch for the STS-115 mission of space shuttle Atlantis to resume orbital construction of the International Space Station.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide


MISSION INDEX