General Chat

The Discovery space shuttle and its six-strong crew have returned to Earth after a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. The orbiter touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1314 GMT. Mission control had raised concerns about weather conditions, but gave the go-ahead shortly before the shuttle began its hour-long descent. Nasa hopes the mission's apparent success has drawn a line under doubts over the shuttle programme's safety. 'Welcome back Discovery and congratulations on a great mission,' mission control told shuttle commander Steven Lindsey, as the orbiter came to a halt on the runway after deploying its parachute. 'It was a great mission. A really great mission,' Lindsey replied.

well done everyone.

That was some footatge, from the flight deck on approach just wonderful Taped it for the kids ! E x :o))))))))))))))))))))))))

WOW just watched it laand

Look at the scorch marks!!!

Touchdown safe

Eh? What probes?

some probes may not be working, but the other side should compensate hope so

Looks a bit cloudy in Florida.

bump

15 mins Good luck to them all...speed home safe E x

This is sooo exciting !! They are just entering the outer fringes of the atmosphere (Fox news) not long now am going to watch on Fox now E x

Phew ! Just got home in time !! Its also on Fox news Elaine x

nudge

Should arrive @ 2.15 London Time, in Florida.

may god guide them home, safe and sound.

From news24*.*com: Nasa managers were keeping an eye on the weather as showers threatened to come within 50 kilometres of the Kennedy Space Centre's 4 570-metre runway on Monday morning. Nasa was going to attempt a landing only at the Florida space centre on Monday but said it would consider the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California if forced to postpone because of weather. The shuttle must land by Wednesday. 'The clouds shouldn't be an issue; however, there's still a chance of showers,' Frick told Lindsey. 'We'll be looking real close at that.' Discovery will try to land at 13:14 GMT or 14:50 GMT on Monday, completing a successful 13-day mission that took supplies and an extra crew member to the international space station and allowed spacewalkers to repair a vital rail car on the station.

From Jacqui Goddard at Cape Canaveral NASA has given the green light for the return of the space shuttle today after a mission that looks set to lift the cloud that has hung over the agency since the Columbia tragedy. A safe touchdown of Discovery will indicate the revival of America’s manned spaceflight programme and herald missions to complete construction of the International Space Station, which has been stalled for more than three years. “We are all pretty proud of where we stand today . . . it’s been a marathon,” the lead flight director, Tony Ceccacci, said. Weather permitting, the orbiter and its six astronauts, including a Briton, Piers Sellers, are scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, at 9.14am local time after a ride back to Earth at up to 25 times the speed of sound. Engineers on the ground were yesterday examining data that indicated a small leak in one of the three auxiliary power units that work the hydraulic systems crucial for landing. There had been concerns that inflammable hydrazine fuel could be dripping from the unit, which could pose a fire risk on the trip home. Tests suggested that the problem is almost certainly harmless nitrogen, which would not compromise Discovery’s return. There remained a chance that it was hydrazine, “but we’re feeling a little more comfortable with it”, Mission Control told the astronauts yesterday. “You are cleared for entry.” The shuttle programme is pinned on the success of the test flight. Not only did Discovery achieve its launch unscathed, avoiding the fuel-tank debris problem that led to the death of Columbia’s seven astronauts in 2003, but Dr Sellers and Mike Fossum made crucial repairs to the space station. Provided things go according to plan today, the way will have been paved for 16 missions to ferry equipment and parts to the space station before the fleet is retired in 2010. Engineers are putting the finishing touches to Atlantis, to send it up in August, and will prepare Discovery for another flight in December. “We have done a lot on this flight to answer some of those unanswerable questions, things we couldn’t answer on the ground and it’s going to make us a safer programme,” said John Shannon, of Nasa. In a final e-mail to the crew yesterday, mission controllers at Houston, Texas, said: “Thanks for making this a great mission. Take care, and see you back in Houston — and we’ll buy the first adult malted beverage.”

I still havent worked out the true landing UK time lol ! If its four hours it will be about 1.14pm our time ?? I may miss it, I dont finish work until 1.15pm, with five mins dash home. I will miss it if earlier as well, as im now helping all morning at school, as ive been told just now, that kyles to recieve a special governers award (one child in each class) for outstanding work !! Elaine x

NASA TV can be viewed via a link on this NASA page, more infio is also on the page http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Elaine x