STS-125 crew members aboard Atlantis (pictured above) will hang out at least a day longer in space, following foul weather that prevented a timely landing today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
And the forecast isn’t looking any sunnier for at least a little while.
There’s a 70 percent likelihood that storms will stick around today, with that chance dropping slightly to 60 percent through Saturday. By early next week, the chance of thunderstorms will have dropped below 50 percent.
NASA Flight Director Norm Knight and the entry team will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Atlantis and its crew to land at 9:16 a.m. Saturday. A second Kennedy landing opportunity is at 10:54 a.m. The shuttle also has landing opportunities at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 10:46 a.m. and 12:24 p.m.
If Atlantis does not land Saturday, there are multiple landing opportunities Sunday at Kennedy, Edwards, or White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Meanwhile, here are some ways to keep current on the mission’s finale:
NASA TV downlink information, including schedules and links to streaming video,
It makes one wonder if the astronauts are terribly disappointed that they have to “hang around” up there for another day. The mission itself is done so I would think at least a couple of them would enjoy doing the “tourist thing”…sit up there in space and chill, take pictures, play around in the weightlessness, etc..
“Aweee…geee…they delayed our landing by another day. I guess it’s Miller Time!”, LOL!!!
I wholeheartedly agree with Iomitus! I’m sure the whole crew were pleasantly contemplating a days’ delay till deorbit as an opportunity to enjoy and photograph the Earth below and the heavens above!
With good weather holding out at Edwards AFB at this time (11:27), we’re only minutes away from the return home by Atlantis in California 🙂
Visual sighting from Edwards AFB has occurred at 11:30 am EDT by long range cameras! Here we go !!
Heads Up Display is visible at 11:35 am EDT.What a cool view of the landing !
Roll stop at 11:40 am EDT. STS-125 is now safely back on earth and will enter the history books as the last Hubble servicing mission!
lomitus, Jon Hanford,
Unfortunately it’s a bit cramped in the shuttle with 7 people. It’s not like the ISS.
Although, observing the affects of intoxication in 0g sounds like a fun experiment. Miller time indeed 🙂
You know, I keep looking at this picture and they all seem cheerful and happy. A little too happy I think. I wonder what they brought up with them for the ride as part of their personal items.