Discovery's last flight landing

[john roe]

For those who may be interested, Space Shuttle Discovery's last flight will end late tonight, Time difference is now Perth 13 hrs ahead of Kennedy and 14 hrs ahead of Mission Control. with a scheduled landing at Cape kennedy Space Center at 0058 Thurs morning Perth Time, with Qld, add 2 hrs to that and NSW and Vic, add 3 hrs, all can be watched live on Nasa TV on Windows media, a sad event, as the Discovery Ship was totally rebuilt and is still in great condition, the USA Gov has cut the funding of such project.

 

cheers john

 

 

[willedoo]

A very historic day, John. I can still remember sitting in the school library watching the first moon walk on TV. Where to from now? Read recently that there was a space shuttle prototype at maks this year, but I've no idea whether it's a government space programme one or one of the private joyflight type ones aka Richard Branson & co.

 

 

[john roe]

A Documentation of Space Shuttle Discoverys last hour in service.

 

Space Shuttle Discovery at 2348 Wednesday 9th March 2011, Perth Time, on its final orbit of the Earth, started up 2 APU for flight surfaces ops, about to position into a rear travel direction to fire 2 of the 3 main Engines, creating 2500 pounds of thrust on each engine, for 2 minutes and 31 seconds over the Indian Ocean Equator to slow it down by 188 MPH to create its fall from space at 2353, ( firing now ) at present the Shuttle is travelling at 17000 MPH = 27000 KPH, and will take one hour to landing at Cape Kennedy Space Centre, started its fall from 123 Statue miles high, the tracking course of Discovery after the deorbit at (2355 ) has completed the burn and will now take it overhead of YPPH, Perth WA, at (2359 ) still travelling at 17000 KPH and 75 Miles High, 40 minutes to landing now as it sweeps around the Great Australian Bight over the Great Southern ocean,, crossing south of NZ, on its sweep around the Pacific Ocean towards South America, as it passed the southern most part of Australia, all Jet directional fuels were dumped overboard, its 3rd and final APU has been started, Animation now shows the lower part of NZ in its rear vision, with 39 minutes to touch down, now tracking up to the coast of South America, in a high 50 degree attitude, everything operating as expected, entry interface has occurred at ( 0026 Perth Time, Temps around Discovery are over 25000 degrees F, at still 75 Miles high and at 27000 MPH, a series of steep banks to port and starboard, will assist in reducing its speed, at Mach 4, during these manuvers, its flight decent path will take it over Cuba, to Southern Florida, with 28 mins to touch down, the roll manoeuvres have commenced at 53 Miles high, now into Earths pressure, 4 onboard computers take control until 3 minutes to landing, roll manoeuvres still in progress at 16000 KPH, range to KFC, 3200 Miles, now 2600 miles to touchdown, dropping at 23000 feet per second, 21 mins to touchdown, now at 15000 MPH with 2000 miles to touchdown, range now 1600 miles, now crossing the South America coastline, 13000 MPH, range now 1300 miles, 16 mins, 38 miles high, dropping 193 feet per second, crossing over the peninsular, Discovery now in radar control, 4500 MPH, range 242 miles, 10 mins to touchdown, Radar Tacam now tracking Discovery over east cost of Florida, 22 miles high, 8 mins to the end of History for the Shuttle Discovery, High Vision cameras will detect and display discovery any minute, 7.5 mins to tough, Radar data taken on board Discovery, Vision now seen by cameras, range 7 miles, 5500 miles per hour, 9 miles, 4 mins to touch, 500 MPH, 2 distinctive sonic booms will be heard as it breaks the sound barrier from nose to tail, with less than 2.30 sec to touchdown, will be at 224 MPH, with main gear on runway, wheel stop at ( 0058 ) after spending a total of 365 days in space in its career history.

 

cheers john