Atlantis' final flight launching space station finishing touches
The final planned mission for space shuttle Atlantis, STS-132 delivers the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 (MRM-1) "Rassvet" and an integrated cargo carrier with spare parts for the International Space Station (ISS). The 12-day mission includes three planned spacewalks.
Atlantis launched May 14, 2010, at 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT) on the 34th shuttle mission to the ISS, the 132nd flight in shuttle history and the orbiter's 32nd and last planned mission.
Ken Ham commands Atlantis' six-member crew. Dominic "Tony" Antonelli is pilot. The STS-132 mission specialists include: Michael Good, Piers Sellers, Stephen Bowen and Garrett Reisman.
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The STS-132 crew returned home to Houston, Texas on Thursday where their families, friends and NASA colleagues were waiting to greet them.
After a "smooth as silk" reentry and landing at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, the six astronauts shared in a traditional walkaround of their vehicle, space shuttle Atlantis, as well answered questions about their 12 day mission during a press conference.
Atlantis meanwhile, was towed back from the landing strip where it had touched down for a final planned time to the Orbiter Processing Facility 1 where it is to be prepared to stand ready as an emergency launch vehicle for the final space shuttle mission, STS-134.
Credit: NASA TV
Credit: NASA TV
Click on photo for more images. Credit: collectSPACE/Robert Z. Pearlman
Space shuttle Atlantis touched down in Florida on Wednesday morning, making its 32nd and final planned landing to complete a 12-day flight that delivered a new Russian research module and six solar array batteries to the International Space Station (ISS).
Commander Ken Ham piloted Atlantis and his five STS-132 crewmates to an arrival at 7:48 a.m. CDT (1248 GMT) on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida.
"We have wheels stop," said Ham, as Atlantis came to rest 12,200-feet down the 15,000-foot long runway.
"Hock, that landing was something that your Air Force crew mates should have really been proud of, that looked pretty sweet," replied capcom Charlie Hobaugh. "For you and your crew, that was a suiting end to an incredible mission.
"I'm sure the station crew members hated to see you leave, but we are glad to have you back. You guys executed flawlessly and not only that, you had a great time doing it -- that was very evident from the ground. Everybody down here really enjoyed working with you."
"We will finish up post-landing [procedures] and turn this incredible machine back to over to the ground teams to put her back in the barn for a little bit," said Ham.
Credit: NASA TV
Landing with Ham were pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Mike Good, Steve Bowen, Garrett Reisman and Piers Sellers.
Their return saw the culmination of Atlantis' STS-132 flight, which added the Russian Mini-Research Module-1 Rassvet to the station. During three spacewalks, Good, Reisman and Bowen replaced six batteries for the P6 (port 6) truss segment solar arrays and added a tool stowage platform to the Canadian robot Dextre. The astronauts also installed a new back-up high bandwidth space-to-ground communications antenna.
Click on photo for more images. Credit: collectSPACE/Robert Z. Pearlman
STS-132 completed 186 orbits over the course of 11 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and two seconds while logging 4,879,978 miles.
This was the 75th shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center and the 58th to land there during the day.
STS-132 marked the final planned flght for Atlantis (OV-104). The fourth of NASA's five space shuttle orbiters to fly, Atlantis has logged 294 days in space over the course of 4,648 orbits travelling 120,650,907 miles.
Click on photo for more images. Credit: collectSPACE/Robert Z. Pearlman
Twin sonic booms heard over Florida, announcing Atlantis' final planned arrival in the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Center.
Commander Ken Ham has taken control of Atlantis to guide it through a 320-degree right overhead turn to align with Runway 33 for a 7:48 a.m. CDT touchdown in Florida.
Atlantis is now flying a series of four steep banks, rolling as much as 80 degrees to one side or the other, to slow its approach.
The first bank at 7:21 a.m. CDT rolled Atlantis 80 degrees to the left. Its first left-to-right turn at 7:34 a.m. has it pitched 62 degrees to the right.
This series of roll commands gives the shuttle's ground track toward the landing site the appearance of an elongated letter "S".
Atlantis, flying Mach 25 over the South Pacific Ocean with its nose tipped up and its wings level, encountered the first traces of the Earth's atmosphere, known as "entry interface," at 7:16 a.m. CDT at an altitude of 400,000 feet while still 5,021 miles from Kennedy Space Center.
STS-132 commander Ken Ham fired Atlantis' orbital maneuvering system engines at 6:41:59 a.m. CDT for three minutes and five seconds, slowing the orbiter's velocity by about 225 miles per hour, beginning his and his five crewmates' return to Earth.
Atlantis is on its way home after a successful final planned mission, its 12-day flight to deliver the Russian-built Mini-Research Module-1 Rassvet to the International Space Station.
Landing on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is set for 7:48 a.m. CDT.
Atlantis, flying its final planned mission, will be returning today to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Flight controllers gave STS-132 mission commander Ken Ham the word that he was "go" to perform the deorbit burn that will begin the shuttle's 32nd and final journey back into the Earth's atmosphere.
"Things are shaping up real nice," radioed capcom Charlie Hobaugh to Atlantis' crew. "The storms that were to the north-northwest have dissipated and slowed down. They shouldn't penetrate the 30-mile circle by the time we are interested in."
"We have already polled the room and you are go for the deorbit burn," said Hobaugh.
Ham will fire Discovery's orbital maneuvering system engines at 6:41:49 a.m. CDT, setting up a 7:48 a.m. touchdown on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility.
Space shuttle Atlantis' two payload bay doors were closed at 4:27 a.m. CDT and STS-132 commander Ken Ham, pilot Tony Antonelli, and flight engineer Michael Good began transitioning Atlantis' flight controls from OPS-2, the software the crew used for on-orbit operations, to OPS-3, used for reentry and landing, about five minutes later.
The astronauts also started suiting up, donning the orange pressure suits that they last wore during their launch.
All their preparations are leading up to Atlantis performing a deorbit burn at 6:41 a.m. CDT, setting up a 7:48 a.m. touchdown on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, weather permitting.
"Weather is still shaping up," said capcom Charlie Hobaugh from Mission Control. "Some isolated storms well out in the Atlantic or off the coast by Jacksonville migrating south. That is primarily what we're watching but still leaning toward this rev."
The STS-132 crew and flight controllers in Mission Control are preparing to bring space shuttle Atlantis home to Earth for what is planned to be its final landing.
The crew awoke at 11:20 p.m. CDT on Tuesday to "Supermassive Black Hole" performed by Muse, played for commander Ken Ham.
"It's a great day in space, and hopefully it's a great day in Florida," remarked Ham. "So please, keep the skies clear, keep birds distracted cause we're coming home."
Ham, pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Stephen Bowen and Piers Sellers will start the day with final stowage activities and deorbit preparations beginning at 2:40 a.m. CDT.
There are two landing opportunities under consideration today, both to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first is on orbit 186 with a deorbit burn at 6:41 a.m. leading to a touchdown at 7:48 a.m. CDT. The second is on the following orbit, with a deorbit burn at 8:17 a.m. and touchdown at 9:22 a.m.
Credit: NASA TV
The weather for the Florida landing strip was forecast to be favorable but with a slight chance of showers within 30 miles of the space center.
If needed, there are two additional Florida landing opportunities Thursday, and attempts to all three landing sites including Edwards Air Force Base in California and the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, on Friday and Saturday.
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