Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely (video)

[MGC]

Launch is Friday evening at 8:55 est. We are driving over to catch the launch, wish me luck that they light the candle.....MGC

[JonathanBelles]

This one sucks for me. Perfect time, perfect moon phase, and I wont be here. I would be able to see it perfectly, but I wont be here

[Stephanie]

I'll bet it will be spectacular at night.

[vbhoutex]

MGC I hope you took pics!!!! It has always been a dream of mine to see a launch.

[MGC]

Just got home last night. It was incredible, beyond my expectations. Endeavour made the night day. We could see the shuttle till at least 350,000 feet. I'll try and post some pictures later.....MGC

[RL3AO]

As I'm sure most of you heard, a tool bag was lost from the ISS during a spacewalk. Heres a video of it passing over head. It shines around the 6th to 8th magnitude.

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2008/23nov08/33442.wmv?PHPSESSID=5ijacq94k9uvg1506jmbemgum7

You can also find out when its passing over head. You'll need a small telescope or binoculars in a dark area.

http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/?PHPSESSID=5ijacq94k9uvg1506jmbemgum7

[JonathanBelles]

wow! I figured that would have crashed into the atmosphere by now.

[JonathanBelles]

Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough ended their mission's fourth spacewalk Monday at 7:31 p.m. EST. They worked on the starboard and port solar alpha rotary joints, installed a camera on the Port 1 Truss and installed a GPS antenna and retracted a latch on the Kibo laboratory. The STS-126 mission has been extended one day for astronauts to continue troubleshooting the International Space Station's new Water Recovery System. Space shuttle Endeavour's landing is now scheduled for Sunday at 1:18 p.m. EST.

[JonathanBelles]

Endeavor is now detatched from the ISS. The final inspection has been done, but results will not be in until tomorrow. Weather will be a problem. IMO it will be a 60% chance of a no go. Winds will be 10-20mph with higher gusts, and a 50% chance of rain. Clouds may also be low.

[JonathanBelles]

Quite an eventful last day(?) in space for Endeavour. The shuttle heat shield was given the ok for landing. Thrusters were tested and ok'd. Mission Specialist Don Pettit reported seeing an object drifting away from the orbiter, which upon later inspection it may have been a label and is not a risk. The crew also deployed a small satellite designed to test space environment effects on new solar cell technologies which will stay in orbit for a few months. NASA is now looking towards California for landing, as Florida weather looks unfavorable as of right now. Four landings have been planned (in local time):

Florida 1:19p
Florida 2:54p
California 1:25p
California 3:00p

We will know about an hour before each time if it is a go or not.

[JonathanBelles]

Endeavour will NOT land in Florida today, and it may just not land anywhere today.

[JonathanBelles]

Flight controllers have elected to press ahead with space shuttle Endeavour's landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 4:25 p.m. EST today. The deorbit burn is scheduled for 3:19 p.m. The weather forecast in Florida for today and tomorrow is unfavorable for a shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center.

[JonathanBelles]

Endeavour will be coming home today in about 15 mins to Edwards AFB, California.

[JonathanBelles]

Endeavour is back on earth in California.

[HURAKAN]

Video of touchdown: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/space/news/vi ... _id=103669