Tech Shout!

Just some time ago, we had reported that Atlantis had started its return journey from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth. Now as it prepares to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is keeping close tabs on the weather.

However, officials are optimistic about the landing. They feel that the forecasts are not encouraging but Atlantis will land safely on Earth as scheduled. Though Kennedy Space Centre seems to be one possible landing spot, Edwards Air Force Base in California could be the place where the space shuttle lands. This would happen only if the Florida weather stays bad.

Norm Knight, Flight Director said, “Obviously, I would like clear skies, unlimited visibility and little wind, but unfortunately those are not the cards we’re typically dealt. Atlantis has enough supplies to stay in space until Sunday if necessary.” He said this at the Johnson Space Center.

Officials at NASA had cleared Atlantis for landing after two check ups during the flight as they found no harm to the orbiter’s heat shield. The thermal blanket that shields an area near the shuttle’s tail from heat was patched by astronaut Danny Olivas. Engineers feel that they may have underestimated how much heat the primary shuttle layers had experienced during launch on June 8, 2007. John Shannon, who is the deputy shuttle program manager says, “When they modeled it, they made a mistake. Still, the engineering and safety teams believe there’s absolutely no risk at all during re-entry.”

Atlantis is scheduled to land in Florida at 1755 hrs GMT. NASA officials had confirmed that their forecasts indicated low clouds and possible thunderstorms in the area. This could prompt them to postpone the landing of the space shuttle by a day. The Atlantis Space Shuttle will be bringing back Astronaut Sunita Williams.