Deorbit Burn Complete, Discovery Headed to Florida

Space shuttle Discovery has completed the deorbit burn, setting it on a course to return to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Entry interface, the point at which the shuttle begins entering the Earth’s atmosphere, will occur at 11:25 a.m. EST. Peak heating begins at 11:34 a.m., the first roll reversal to slow the spacecraft will take place at 11:38 a.m., and peak heating should end about 11:44 a.m.

Discovery will head to the northeast across the west coast of Florida near Sarasota and trigger dual sonic booms as it slows to subsonic speeds at about 11:53 a.m. Commander Steve Lindsey will align Discovery with Kennedy’s northwest to southeast runway 15 and touch down at 11:57:26 a.m.