The seven
astronauts aboard space shuttle Atlantis are hoping for clear skies above
Florida so they can return home today.
Atlantis is
due to land at 9:44 a.m. EST (1444 GMT) to cap an 11-day delivery mission to the
International Space Station. The weather is expected to cooperate, mission
managers said.
"I can tell
you already, it's looking pretty good," said entry flight director Bryan
Lunney.
Atlantis is
poised to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where the shuttle launched
on Nov. 16, after a week-long stay at the space station. Astronauts
performed three spacewalks to deliver nearly 15 tons of huge pumps, tanks,
gyroscopes and other large spare parts that will keep the space station going
long after NASA retires its three remaining space shuttles next year.
Atlantis is
also ferrying astronaut Nicole Stott back to Earth after her three-month stay
on the station. Stott launched to the station in August and is the last station
crewmember to be switched out using a NASA shuttle.
Mission
Control roused the shuttle crew early Friday with the song "Home Sweet Home" by
Motley Crue, a tune selected for the entire crew.
"The whole
crew says, 'Thank you very much!'" Stott said. "Especially this one!" Stott is
looking forward to seeing her husband and young son for the first time in
months.
Returning
to Earth aboard Atlantis with Stott are shuttle commander Charlie Hobaugh,
pilot Barry Wilmore and mission specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike
Foreman and Robert Satcher, Jr. The astronauts spent the Thanksgiving
holiday in space, and even managed to have the space version of a turkey
dinner.
Bresnik is
especially hopeful for an on-time landing today and is looking forward to
holding his new baby daughter Abigail for the first time. She was
born last week just after his first spacewalk.
SPACE.com
is providing complete coverage of Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the
International Space Station with Staff Writer Clara Moskowitz and Managing
Editor Tariq Malik. Click here
for shuttle mission updates and a link to NASA TV.
advertisement
