CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Atlantis astronauts will make another attempt to return to terra firma Monday after gusty afternoon winds at Kennedy Space Center Sunday forced the shuttle crew to remain in orbit an extra day.
The four-man, one-woman crew now is scheduled to land at NASA's coastal Florida spaceport at 1:27 p.m. EST (18:27 GMT) Monday. Stiff runway crosswinds that forced the astronauts to forego two landing opportunities Sunday are expected to subside somewhat.
| Monday Opportunities |
| Shuttle Atlantis and its five astronauts will have four chances to return to Earth Monday: two in Florida and another pair in California. The first will come at 1:26 p.m. EST (18:26 GMT) at Kennedy Space Center. Click here for live coverage. |
"We just think that [Monday's] forecast looks like a lot better chance to get you safely into KSC," astronaut Scott "Scooter" Altman told the crew after NASA managers postponed the last leg of their International Space Station construction mission.
"It just does not look like an optimum day to come home," he added."OK, Scooter. We understand," Atlantis commander Ken Cockrell replied.
In orbit now for 11 days, the Atlantis astronauts had been scheduled to land Sunday, capping a successful mission to mount and activate the $1.4 billion U.S. Destiny science laboratory at the international station.
Those plans were dashed when strong crosswinds at the swamp-surrounded KSC runway prompted mission managers to call off a pair of afternoon landing opportunities.
Strict NASA flight rules prohibit a landing attempt if crosswinds at the runway top 15 knots. Sensors at the runway recorded crosswind gusts up to 19 knots throughout the afternoon.
The Atlantis crew will have two opportunities to land at KSC Monday. The second will come at 3:03 p.m. EST (20:03 GMT).
Forecasts call for another breezy afternoon in Central Florida, with winds gusting between 10 and 17 knots. But gusts in this case are expected to blow down the runway, and headwinds up to 25 knots are acceptable under NASA flight rules.
A back-up landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California might be opened up Monday, but high winds, low clouds and a chance of rain make it unlikely the astronauts will be detoured there.
The Edwards site was not open Sunday because NASA prefers to avoid the $1 million cost of ferrying a shuttle from California back to Florida.
Atlantis has enough fuel and supplies onboard to remain in space until Wednesday.
advertisement
