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Atlantis Prepares for KSC Landing on Friday

Astronauts are working hard to ensure a good reentry

May 21, 2009 14:18 GMT  ·  By
Astronaut John Grunsfeld is seen in this picture using a still camera to take snapshots of the third spacewalk and the planet in the background
   Astronaut John Grunsfeld is seen in this picture using a still camera to take snapshots of the third spacewalk and the planet in the background

After successfully completing the most complex space mission ever, of repairing the ailing Hubble Space Telescope in five back-to-back spacewalks, the seven-astronaut crew aboard the space shuttle Atlantis is currently working hard on getting the spacecraft ready for its Friday landing at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. It's the job of Commander Scott Altman to direct his crew in such a manner that the massive, 100-ton ship is converted into a perfect glider, able to navigate through Earth's atmosphere without damage, and then to land precisely at the KSC.

“Like a lot of Americans, I've been watching with amazement the gorgeous images you've been sending back, and the incredible repair mission you've been making in space. By allowing Hubble to continue on its journey, you've really allowed all of us to continue on our journey of growth and exploration,” US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday of the STS-125 mission efforts, and added that the most famous observatory ever constructed was a source of inspiration for America and for the world.

“It's hard to believe that we're coming to an end here,” Space quotes Altman as saying during a radio transmission to Mission Control yesterday. Today, the astronauts will also have to appear in a NASA budget hearing, conducted by the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, and share their views on the agency's plans of retiring its aging shuttle fleet at the end of 2010. The plan generated heated controversies in the US, with strong proponents and critics throwing on-point arguments at each other.

During the landing preparations, the astronauts have shut down some auxiliary systems, which are not necessary for the reentry stage of their mission. The move was performed in an attempt to save more energy from the craft's batteries, in case of an emergency. Bad weather could be a delaying factor, and the astronauts may find themselves forced to spend an extra day or two in orbit if that's the case. In such a circumstance, remaining without energy would mean that the crew and shuttle would be doomed.