Doors closing, weather lousy
Update for Monday, July 23, 2001
at 8:55 p.m. EDT

Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors were ordered closed right on schedule at 8:49 p.m. EDT in anticipation of landing at the Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday, although weather threatens as advertised.

Low clouds, gusting winds and rainshowers have been moving over Florida's Space Coast all day and into the evening as a low pressure system moves through Central Florida. However, radar images and weather models indicate a glimmer of hope that conditions will be acceptable enough to allow a landing.

If it does happen it will more than likely be for the second opportunity, but you can never tell for sure with Florida's weather.

A reminder of the critical times, all EDT:

Orbit 185 to KSC deorbit at 11:29 p.m. and land at 12:37 a.m.

Orbit 186 to KSC deorbit at 1:08 a.m. and land at 2:14 a.m.

A decision on the first landing opportunity could come as late as about 11:15 p.m., but is likely to happen much earlier. We will post an update as soon as we hear something.

The astronauts aboard shuttle Atlantis have been told to begin their so-called fluid loading on schedule, a sure indication that a return to Earth as planned at 12:37 a.m. EDT is increasingly likely.

The fluid loading involves drinking a large supply of what is basically salt water to help prevent symptoms of becoming lightheaded after landing when gravity pulls the astronauts' body fluids away from their heads.

At this time the current weather is observed to be go and forecast to be go, with the one exception that crosswinds continue to threaten to be out of limits, but the overall trend right now is positive.

An hour ago it didn't look good, but now it does, and with Florida's reputation for quickly changing weather it's still anybody's guess as to what will happen.

Again, here are the critical times, all EDT:

Orbit 185 to KSC deorbit at 11:29 p.m. and land at 12:37 a.m.

Orbit 186 to KSC deorbit at 1:08 a.m. and land at 2:14 a.m.

A cluster of showers to the southwest of the Kennedy Space Center that are moving toward the shuttle runway has prompted NASA to waive off the first of two landing opportunities here tonight.

Clocks are now ticking toward a deorbit burn at 1:08 a.m. EDT with a landing at KSC at 2:14 a.m. EDT.

Weather was looking promising earlier tonight but this cell of rainshowers was not dissipating as quickly as expected and mission controllers could not get comfortable with landing on this orbit.

If the landing takes place on the next orbit, Atlantis will be descending through Earth's atmosphere on a ground track that would take it almost directly overhead of the Houston metropolitan area at 1:57 a.m. EDT, and would be visible as an orange streak of light moving west to east across the sky.

The weather picture over Central Florida doesn't look good but NASA hasn't thrown in the towel -- yet.

There is still some hope that approaching rainshowers will dissipate enough to allow the landing, but the trend isn't positive and chief astronaut Charlie Precourt is reporting pockets of moisture and clouds over the shuttle landing facility and says that the low-level air seems to be more humid than it was earlier tonight.

The approach to runway 15 looks pretty good right now, with a slight amount of moisture when you break out of the clouds, according to Precourt, but it's unclear whether that moisture will be considered acceptable to mission managers.

A decision is expected shortly as the deorbit burn must happen at 1:08 a.m. EDT.

If the landing takes place on the next orbit, Atlantis will be descending through Earth's atmosphere on a ground track that would take it almost directly overhead of the Houston metropolitan area at 1:57 a.m. EDT, and would be visible as an orange streak of light moving west to east across the sky.

Landing would follow a few minutes later in Florida at 2:14 a.m. EDT.

The weather over Central Florida turned out to be too much of a problem for NASA this morning and mission managers have told the Atlantis crew they will remain in space at least one more day.

Clouds, rain and gusting winds at the Kennedy Space Center all played a role in delaying the shuttle's homecoming. Despite some optimism earlier in the day, the actual weather was just unacceptable when it came time to make the decision.

The five astronauts will now open their payload bay doors and take off their spacesuits to enjoy some extended time on orbit in which gazing out the window will be one of the more popular activities during the next few hours.

Weather forecasts for KSC late tonight and early Wednesday morning are much more favorable and there is a good deal of confidence that Atlantis will be able to return to its launch site then. Earlier this week NASA managers had said they did not intend to make ready Edwards Air Force Base in California as a backup landing site until Thursday, but that could change.

The first Florida landing opportunity comes late tonight at 11:39 p.m. EDT, with a second chance to land at 1:15 a.m. EDT.

Rainshowers near the Kennedy Space Center at the wrong time prevented Atlantis from landing here early this morning, but there is promise and consensus among various sources of weather information -- official and otherwise -- that skies will begin clearing here in Central Florida today as a low pressure system moves away.

Florida's weather, however, is notorious for rapidly changing so it will still be somewhat of a waiting game tonight as NASA mission managers seek to return the five astronauts aboard Atlantis to their launch site.

Confident that the weather will be better here, and that it will stay acceptable at the backup landing site in California for the rest of the week, NASA will only attempt landings in Florida tonight. If the weather here doesn't cooperate, then on Wednesday night/Thursday morning they will send Atlantis to whichever site is acceptable first.

Atlantis has enough supplies onboard to keep the crew healthy until at least Thursday night.

Enjoying some quiet time to gaze out the window, the crew will be heading to bed at 7:04 a.m. EDT and will awaken at 3:04 p.m. EDT. After the usual morning drill, they will official resume their landing preparations at 6:39 p.m. EDT and close the payload bay doors at 7:52 p.m. EDT.

Then it will be up to the weather folks to help decide when the shuttle will fire its braking rockets to begin the hour-long supersonic dive through Earth's atmosphere heading for a Florida homecoming. There are two landing opportunities:

Orbit 200 to KSC deorbits at 10:32 p.m. EDT and lands at 11:39 p.m. EDT.

Orbit 201 to KSC deorbits at 12:08 a.m. EDT Wednesday and lands at 1:15 a.m. EDT.

Stay tuned to this page for the latest landing updates.

For the second time in as many days, shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are closed in anticipation of landing at the Kennedy Space Center in about four hours. The clamshell-like panels were ordered shut at 7:45 p.m. EDT and the task was reported finished at 8:01 p.m. EDT.

Almost immediately after the doors were closed the five-member flight crew loaded the entry and landing software into their primary computers, and they will now begin suiting up for the return home.

The big difference from yesterday is that the weather here is beautiful. Conditions over the shuttle runway are observed go right now, and forecast to be go as well, so it looks like this airlock delivery mission might come to a conclusion tonight.

If everything continues to go well, the deorbit burn would come at 10:32 p.m. EDT and landing would be at 11:39 p.m. EDT.

We will continue to update this page tonight as preparations for the Florida homecoming continue.

Shuttle Atlantis is on its last expected lap around the planet at this hour, just 32 minutes away from firing its braking rockets to begin the hour-long supersonic dive to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The weather over the shuttle runway remains ideal for landing, with all the rainshowers that were responsible for delaying the landing early this morning having moved well to the northwest.

A formal "go" for the de-orbit burn is expected soon.

In the meantime all is in readiness on the ground to receive the shuttle and onboard Atlantis the crew are in their orange spacesuits and are drinking fluids to replenish those that the astronauts have lost during the course of the airlock delivery mission.

Once again, the weather is observed go and forecast to be go, so all is well with plans for Atlantis' homecoming tonight.

Shuttle Atlantis's five astronauts have been given the final "go" to return home to Florida after spending an extended 13 days in space.

The shuttle's twin orbital maneuvering engines will fire at 10:32 p.m. EDT for four minutes and 17 seconds, slowing Atlantis by 465 feet per second, or just enough so that it falls out of orbit and begins the hour-long supersonic dive to the Kennedy Space Center.

The weather over the shuttle runway remains ideal for landing, with all the rainshowers that were responsible for delaying the landing early this morning having moved well to the northwest.

Space shuttle Atlantis is on its way home, committed to landing on the three-mile runway at Kennedy Space Center and completing an extended 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

With all five astronauts dressed in their bright orange spacesuits and strapped securely in their seats, Atlantis' twin orbital maneuvering engines fired for four minutes and 17 seconds beginning at 10:32 p.m. EDT, slowing down the spaceplane just enough so that it will fall out of orbit.

Now it will take just about a half-hour for the shuttle to descend to the point where it officially reenters Earth's atmosphere, a point defined as 400,000 feet above the planet's surface. Atlantis' velocity of 25 times the speed of sound will quickly begin to slow while the shuttle flies through an increasingly dense atmosphere, heating up and leaving a brightly lit trail of plasma behind it.

When finally over KSC, Atlantis commander Steve Lindsey will take charge of the flying duties from the computers and guide the spaceplane around an imaginary circle to line up with shuttle runway 15, which is the northwest end of the concrete strip.

After the main gear touch down, pilot Charles Hobaugh is to release the shuttle's drag chute, which is primarily used to help keep the orbiter aligned down the center of the runway. Then the nosewheel will be brought down, followed by release of the drag chute and then the rollout to wheels stop.

Shuttle Atlantis is safely stopped on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after spending 13 days in space to deliver a new airlock to the International Space Station.

With commander Steve Lindsey at the controls, Atlantis touched down on the floodlit three-mile-long concrete strip as scheduled at 11:39 p.m. EDT. During the next minute or so Atlantis rolled out to a stop with the help of a red, white and blue drag chute that was popped from the tail of the spaceplane.

This was the 18th night landing in shuttle program history and the 13th night landing in Florida.

A convoy of KSC technicians and engineers are speeding toward the shuttle at this moment. During the next few minutes a small team will check the air around the shuttle for any toxic leaks, and then cooling and servicing trucks will be connected to Atlantis.

It will take about 40 minutes or so for the five astronauts to finish their work inside the crew cabin and then depart the shuttle to board a modified airport people mover, where they will get a very preliminary medical check and be assisted with any special needs they might have.

Then if they feel up to it, the crew will make an appearance on the runway and walk around Atlantis before heading to KSC's crew quarters for more medical checks and a reunion with family and close friends.