[sarex] Controllers Turn Eyes to California for Shuttle Landing

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Controllers Turn Eyes to California for Shuttle Landing*

Shuttle Training AircraftImage above: Astronaut Scott Altman approaches 
the runway at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in a Shuttle Training Aircraft to assess
landing conditions. Image credit: NASA TV

TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:

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

Flight controllers decided to try landing at Edwards Air Force Base, 
Calif., after weather failed to improve at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault are scheduled 
to perform the deorbit engine burn at 1843 UTC. to begin the descent for 
a 1949 UTC landing at Edwards.

Rain showers were the reason for the wave off of the first landing 
attempt at Kennedy. Flight controllers and forecasters with the 
Spaceflight Meteorology Group continue to monitor the weather at both 
landing facilities. Two more opportunities – 5:23 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. -- 
are available to today at Edwards.

Landing will bring to an end a successful construction mission to the 
International Space Station. Atlantis launched June 8 and arrived at the 
station on June 10. While at the orbital outpost, the crew 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.

+ Landing Blog 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/launch/index_Landing-blog.html> 


*STS-117 Mission*
+ The Crew 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html> 

+ The Mission 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_overview.html> 

+ The Integrated Truss Structure 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>