Вторник, возможности посадки (от http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/news/STS-114-27.html):
Kennedy Space Center: 04:07 CDT (13:07 МСК)
White Sands, New Mexico: 05:39 CDT (14:39 МСК)
Kennedy Space Center: 05:43 CDT (14:43 МСК)
Edwards AFB, California: 07:12 CDT( 16:12 МСК)
White Sands, New Mexico: 07:13 CDT (16:13 МСК)
Edwards AFB, California: 08:47 CDT (17:47 МСК)

Преподчитают Кеннеди. Едвардс второй выбор--и лично, мой первый выбор потому, что я возможно могу увидеть посадку через бинокль с места недалеко от дома. )

Считай тебе повезло! Потом поделись впечатлениями о посадке!

1117 GMT (7:17 a.m. EDT)

Excess propellant reserves in the shuttle's forward maneuvering thrusters will be dumped overboard via four jets. The dump time will be 44 seconds, the astronauts were just told.

1115 GMT (7:15 a.m. EDT)

Onboard guidance is maneuvering Discovery 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. Discovery will begin interacting with the upper fringes of the atmosphere above the South Pacific at 7:40 a.m. EDT.

1109 GMT (7:09 a.m. EDT)

Touchdown is 60 minutes away.

1121 GMT (7:21 a.m. EDT)

Time to touchdown is 50 minutes. Discovery is flying over the extreme southern Indian Ocean and about to pass south of Australia.

1120 GMT (7:20 a.m. EDT)

Discovery is 205 miles above Earth, continuing its free-fall to the atmosphere. The ship will hit the upper edge of the atmosphere at altitude of about 75 miles in 20 minutes.

1128 GMT (7:28 a.m. EDT)

All three auxiliary power units are now running to supply pressure to the shuttle's hydraulic systems, which in turn move Discovery'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.

1129 GMT (7:29 a.m. EDT)

Discovery is descending through 155 miles.

1136 GMT (7:36 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle is 100 miles above the South Pacific as it nears the upper fringe of Earth's atmosphere and just under 6,000 miles from the runway.

1141 GMT (7:41 a.m. EDT)

Altitude is now 65 miles.

1140 GMT (7:40 a.m. EDT)

ENTRY INTERFACE. The protective tiles on the belly of Discovery 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, at a velocity of Mach 25, descending at a rate of over 600 feet per second.

Touchdown is set for 8:11 a.m. EDT at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

1146 GMT (7:46 a.m. EDT)

Time to touchdown now 25 minutes.

1145 GMT (7:45 a.m. EDT)

Speed is beginning to decrease, now 16,800 mph.

1152 GMT (7:52 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle's speed is 14,500 mph as Discovery begins reversing its bank to the right to further reduce speed.

1151 GMT (7:51 a.m. EDT)

All of Discovery's systems are operating normally, flight controllers report, as Discovery passes an altitude of 41 miles, some 2,000 miles from Edwards Air Force Base.

1150 GMT (7:50 a.m. EDT)

Speed is now 15,400 mph at an altitude of 230,000 feet.

1149 GMT (7:49 a.m. EDT)

Distance left to travel to the runway now 2,500 miles.

1148 GMT (7:48 a.m. EDT)

Altitude is now 45 miles, traveling at 16,100 mph.

1147 GMT (7:47 a.m. EDT)

Discovery is crossing the equator in the central Pacific.

1203 GMT (8:03 a.m. EDT)

An infrared tracking camera at Edwards has spotted Discovery. The shuttle is 155 miles away.

1202 GMT (8:02 a.m. EDT)

Discovery is now flying at Mach 6.

1201 GMT (8:01 a.m. EDT)

The TACAN navigation units aboard Discovery are now receiving data from beacons located at the landing site.

1201 GMT (8:01 a.m. EDT)

Speed is now 5,100 some 287 miles from the runway.

1200 GMT (8:00 a.m. EDT)

All appears to be going smoothly in Discovery's descent.

1159 GMT (7:59 a.m. EDT)

Discovery remains on the proper track for landing in 12 minutes at Edwards Air Force Base. Mission Control computes Discovery will land 2,700 feet down the runway at 205 knots.

1159 GMT (7:59 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle is beginning to bank back to the left at a speed of 7,500 mph. Altitude is 167,000 feet.

1158 GMT (7:58 a.m. EDT)

Speed is 8,700 mph, altitude is 33 miles, 630 miles from touchdown.

1157 GMT (7:57 a.m. EDT)

Discovery's speed is 10,000 mph at an altitude of 34 miles.

1156 GMT (7:56 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle is flying at Mach 17, now 1,000 miles from Edwards.

1155 GMT (7:55 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle is 16 minutes to touchdown, descending through 200,000 feet.

1153 GMT (7:53 a.m. EDT)

Discovery is 217,000 feet in altitude, 1,450 miles from the runway.

1152 GMT (7:52 a.m. EDT)

The shuttle's speed is 14,500 mph as Discovery begins reversing its bank to the right to further reduce speed.

1151 GMT (7:51 a.m. EDT)

All of Discovery's systems are operating normally, flight controllers report, as Discovery passes an altitude of 41 miles, some 2,000 miles from Edwards Air Force Base.

1150 GMT (7:50 a.m. EDT)

Speed is now 15,400 mph at an altitude of 230,000 feet.

1149 GMT (7:49 a.m. EDT)

Distance left to travel to the runway now 2,500 miles.

1148 GMT (7:48 a.m. EDT)

Altitude is now 45 miles, traveling at 16,100 mph.