Thread: Shuttle landing

Skywatchers Could Spot Discovery Re-Entry

(April 18) -- Early risers in several states across the U.S. heartland may be able to beat the Monday morning blues with a rare glimpse of a NASA spacecraft flying through the sky.

Before the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center Monday morning at 8:51 a.m, weather permitting, the shuttle may be visible as it travels southeast over the continental U.S. What appears to be a meteorite or a glowing cloud could be seen streaking overhead in dozens of cities and towns, including: Fort Peck Lake, Mont.; Pierre, S.D.; Sioux City, Iowa; St. Louis; Tupelo, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Jacksonville, Fla.

The shuttle is scheduled to enter Earth's atmosphere over the central Pacific Ocean at 8:17 a.m. EDT and should be visible over Montana about a half hour before landing in Cape Canaveral, NASA flight director Brian Lunney told Reuters.

It is only the second time since the 2003 Columbia disaster that a NASA space shuttle will descend across the continental U.S. -- and it is likely the last time before NASA retires its shuttle fleet later this year, according to a Space.com report.

That report points out that the remaining three NASA missions will take place in the summer months, when high-altitude ice clouds prompt shuttles to fly back to Florida from the southeast, over the Caribbean. Ice clouds are not an issue for the Discovery's re-entry at this time of year.

Space.com provides a near minute-by-minute projection of Discovery's landing path, predicting stargazers in Glendrive, Mont., should be able to spot the shuttle reaching its maximum altitude over the northeast horizon at 6:28:51 a.m. MDT. Just over a minute later at 7:30:08 a.m. CDT, Space.com predicts Discovery will be passing almost directly over Pierre, S.D. In the four minutes that follow, Discovery is expected to flash over the heart of Missouri, the Arkansas-Tennessee border and just east of Memphis before approaching Cape Canaveral, where the shuttle's touchdown is slated for 8:51:22 a.m. EDT.

Observers in the West, where it will still be dark, should be on the lookout for a glowing streak.

John A. Dormer, a Texas observer, told Space.com that a re-entering shuttle appears "stunning against a rapidly-bluing sky...it looks like liquid gold."

Discovery may be more difficult to spot in the East, where the sky will be light by the time shuttle passes.

Dale Ireland of Seattle, Wash., an "assiduous skywatcher" according to Space.com, said: "It would be hard to spot in daylight, but not impossible."

Those who don't see Discovery streak across the sky may still be able to hear it, as shuttles re-entering the Earth's atmosphere produce a double sonic boom, the sound of which should reach the ground about 90 seconds after the shuttle travels overhead.





Some of have seen and heard the sonic boom from it when it reenters but i thought some of you might be interested in getting a chance to see or maybe hear it. If your in range when it booms you will know without a doubt it's overhead. It sounds like a shotgun going off twice right outside your house. I for one will be at the end of my monday drive to jacksonville so im going to pull over and watch. There wont be to many more chances to catch it.


Forgot the link. There is a map with the projected path if you want to see if you will be near it.

http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/skywatchers-could-spot-discovery-re-entry-monday-morning/19444522?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww .aolnews.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fskywatchers-could-spot-discovery-re-entry-monday-morning%2F19444522

Well the latest poop on this is ........ the Landing is scrubbed till tomorrow due to rain and clouds at the Kennedy Space Center.

Good i was a little upset it was to cloudy to see.