[sarex] Space Shuttle Crew Arrives in Florida

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Space Shuttle Crew Arrives in Florida*

The Shuttle Training Aircraft carrying the STS-120 astronauts touched 
down on Friday at the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy 
Space Center in Florida.

"There's something special about showing up in Florida," said Commander 
Pam Melroy. "There's a time when you need to talk, and the Flight 
Readiness Review was a time to talk. Then there's a time when you need 
to go do it. And I'm happy to say we're really here, and ready to go do 
it."

Melroy said she and her crew are "totally confident" that Discovery's 
reinforced carbon-carbon heat shield is capable of protecting them on 
the ride home.

Discovery's crew.Image Above: Commander Pam Melroy, with her crew behind 
her, greets the press upon touch down at the Shuttle Landing Facility in 
Florida. Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
+ View larger image 
<http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170419main__DSC0056.jpg>

The crew's arrival follows the detailed flight readiness review on 
Tuesday, after which NASA senior managers announced Oct. 23 as the 
official launch date. Discovery is scheduled to lift off at 11:38 a.m. 
EDT on its mission to the International Space Station.

The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks – four by shuttle crew 
members and one by the station’s Expedition 16 crew. Discovery is 
expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 6.

Looking ahead to launch-day weather, there is a 40% probability that 
weather could prohibit liftoff.