Atlantis Gets Replica Engine

In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians sitting on the Hyster forklift monitor the progress as technicians in the aft portion of space shuttle Atlantis connect replica shuttle main engine RSME number 2. Three RSMEs will be installed on Atlantis. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis’ future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibit’s grand opening in July 2013.

Photo credit: NASA, Glenn Benson

NASA Announces Space Shuttle Closeout Contract Modification

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington                                    

Kyle Herring

Johnson Space Center, Houston                              

HOUSTON -- NASA announced the Space Shuttle Program and subcontractor closeout modification to the Space Program Operations Contract (SPOC) with United Space Alliance (USA) of Houston, valued at $232.9 million.

The contract covers SPOC closeout actions from Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2013, including:

-- Making orbiters Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour safe for public display

-- Ferry operation activities for Discovery
-- Property, information technology systems and records disposition by USA
-- Subcontract closeout activities including property disposition, information technology systems disposition and records disposition by 31 subcontractors through firm-fixed-price contracts and five subcontractors through five cost-plus type contracts.

The principal locations of the various work elements are USA's facilities in Houston, Huntsville, Ala.; and Titusville, Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center in Fla.

This is a cost-plus-award-fee-reimbursement contract.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

- end -

President Obama Meets Final Shuttle Crew

From left, Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-135 Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus, Commander Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim watch from the background as Janet Kavandi, Director of Flight Crew Operations at Johnson Space Center, Texas, presents President Obama with a coat from Space Shuttle Atlantis's final mission, in the Oval Office, Nov. 1, 2011.
 
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

The Past, Powering the Future

All six Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines from Endeavour's STS-134 and Atlantis' STS-135 missions sit in test cells inside the Engine Shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For the first time, all 15 shuttle main engines are in the shop at the same time, being prepped for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, where they are being repurposed for use on NASA's next generation heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System.
 
Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

NASA's Space Shuttle Crew Members Host Tweetup in Washington

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington                                   

WASHINGTON -- NASA invites its Twitter followers to a special Tweetup with Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson at 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 13. The event will be in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington.

Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim were the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis for the 13-day STS-135 mission. Atlantis launched July 8 and landed July 21, completing NASA's final space shuttle mission, after a journey of more than five million miles.

The crew delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module -- including 2,677 pounds of food -- that will sustain space station operations for the next year.

The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station. STS-135 was the 135th and final shuttle flight.

A Tweetup is an informal meeting of people who use the social messaging medium Twitter. This NASA Tweetup is an opportunity to meet and speak with STS-135 crew members, the people behind NASA's Twitter account and other space-exploration-minded participants.

Registration for the event is open from 10 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Sept. 29, until 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30. NASA randomly will select 150 participants from online registrants. For more NASA Tweetup information and to sign up, visit http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup.

To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You can follow Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim at http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug ,  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy ,  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex.

For more information about shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135.

- end -

NASA Unveils New Batch Of Space Shuttle Program Artifacts

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- The final space shuttle landing July 21 opened new prospects for eligible education institutions, museums and other organizations to receive a piece of spaceflight history. On Monday, Aug. 15, the eighth batch of artifacts from NASA's space programs will be available on a website that the agency and the General Services Administration (GSA) developed.

The artifacts are not only from the shuttle era, but also from the Apollo, Mercury, Hubble Space Telescope programs. The approximately 2,000 items include:

-- the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station, an underwater habitat that was used to demonstrate space life support system ideas for use on space stations

-- shuttle heat shield tiles used to test problems experienced during missions

-- parts of Apollo and shuttle era spacesuits, including hard upper torso garments to protect astronauts from extreme temperatures

To view and request space artifacts, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

Each artifact will be available for 42 days. For the first 21 days, internal organizations such as NASA visitor centers, agency exhibit managers and the Smithsonian Institution may request artifacts. External organizations, including museums, schools, universities, libraries, and planetariums may request artifacts during the following 21 days.

After the screening period and completion of the request process, organizations will be notified about the status of their application.

Artifacts are released incrementally when NASA no longer needs them, in accordance with export control laws and regulations. They are provided free of charge, but requesting organizations must pay for shipping and any special handling costs.

To date, approximately 29,000 items of historic significance have been offered, mainly from the shuttle, with contributions from the Hubble, Apollo, Mercury, Gemini, and International Space Station programs. Approximately 3,000 artifacts have been requested. The remainder will be considered for federal and state reuse and then offered to the general public for sale.

For information about NASA's space shuttle transition and artifacts, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition , http://artifacts.nasa.gov.

In addition to artifacts, NASA also is offering a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) through another GSA hosted web-based site http://gsaxcess.gov/.

The STA is a modified Gulfstream II that allowed pilots to simulate orbiter landings under controlled conditions. Other STAs will be displayed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Dryden Flight Research Center in California, and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

- end -

NASA Tests Future Deep Space Vehicle For Water Landings

J.D. Harrington/Michael Braukus

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Amy Johnson

Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

 

Josh Byerly

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HAMPTON, Va. -- As NASA closes the chapter on the Space Shuttle Program, a new era of exploration vehicles is beginning to take off.

Testing began this month at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in the new Hydro Impact Basin to certify the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) for water landings. The Orion MPCV will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure safe re-entry and landing.

Engineers have dropped a 22,000-pound MPCV mockup into the basin. The test item is similar in size and shape to MPCV, but is more rigid so it can withstand multiple drops. Each test has a different drop velocity to represent the MPCV's possible entry conditions during water landings.

The last of three drop tests to verify the new facility is scheduled for the end of this month.

Testing will resume in September with a slightly modified test article that is more representative of the actual MPCV.

The new Hydro Impact Basin is 115 long, 90 feet wide and 20 feet deep. It is located at the west end of Langley's historic Landing and Impact Research Facility, or Gantry, where Apollo astronauts trained for moon walks.

For images and video of the tests, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/exploration/hib.html.

To follow the progress of the Orion MPCV on social networking sites, visit http://www.facebook.com/nasampcv ,  http://twitter.com/nasampcv , http://www.youtube.com/user/nasampcv ,  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasampcv.

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Orion MPCV program for the agency. For more information about the program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/mpcv.

- end -

Completing the Mission

After completing the STS-135 mission, space shuttle Atlantis is rolled over to the Orbiter Processing Facility shortly after landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis and the STS-135 crew completed a 13-day mission to the International Space Station and the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Crew Returns Home After Final Shuttle Mission

The four STS-135 astronauts and their family members who came to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for yesterday's landing and completion of the Space Shuttle Program's final mission returned home to Houston this afternoon. The public is invited to attend a welcome home ceremony at 4 p.m. CDT in NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

Crew Heads Home After Final Shuttle Mission

The four STS-135 astronauts and their family members who came to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for yesterday's landing and completion of the Space Shuttle Program's final mission will return home to Houston this afternoon. The public is invited to attend a welcome home ceremony at 4 p.m. CDT in NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA TV and online at nasa.gov/ntv.

Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

The End of an Era

Workers measured and marked in bright red the letters "MLG" at the spot where space shuttle Atlantis' main landing gear came to rest after the vehicle's final return from space. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history on the STS-135 mission, Atlantis safely and successfully rounded out NASA's Space Shuttle Program on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

Image Credit: NASA/Kyle Herring

NASA Administrator Commemorates Final Space Shuttle Landing

David Weaver

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden today issued this statement about the final landing of the Space Shuttle Program:

"At today's final landing of the space shuttle, we had the rare opportunity to witness history. We turned the page on a remarkable era and began the next chapter in our nation's extraordinary story of exploration.

The brave astronauts of STS-135 are emblematic of the shuttle program. Skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who propelled America to continued leadership in space with the shuttle's many successes. It is my great honor today to welcome them home.

I salute them and all of the men and women who have flown shuttle missions since the very first launch on April 12, 1981.

The shuttle program brought our nation many firsts. Many proud moments, some of which I was privileged to experience myself as a shuttle commander. I was proud to be part of the shuttle program and will carry those experiences with me for the rest of my life.

As we move forward, we stand on the shoulders of these astronauts and the thousands of people who supported them on the ground – as well as those who cheered their triumphs and mourned their tragedies.

This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary-and difficult-steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come.

I want to send American astronauts where we've never been before by focusing our resources on exploration and innovation, while leveraging private sector support to take Americans to the International Space Station in low Earth orbit.

With the bold path President Obama and Congress have set us on, we will continue the grand tradition of exploration.

Children who dream of being astronauts today may not fly on the space shuttle . . . but, one day, they may walk on Mars. The future belongs to us. And just like those who came before us, we have an obligation to set an ambitious course and take an inspired nation along for the journey.

I'm ready to get on with the next big challenge.

The future is bright for human spaceflight and for NASA. American ingenuity is alive and well. And it will fire up our economy and help us win the future, but only if we dream big and imagine endless possibilities. That future begins today."

- end -

The Voyage Home

Space shuttle Atlantis' bright-white, iconic frame illuminates the darkness as it touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m.

On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA Administrator Commemorates Final Space Shuttle Landing

David Weaver

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden today issued this statement about the final landing of the Space Shuttle Program:

"At today's final landing of the space shuttle, we had the rare opportunity to witness history. We turned the page on a remarkable era and began the next chapter in our nation's extraordinary story of exploration.

The brave astronauts of STS-135 are emblematic of the shuttle program. Skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who propelled America to continued leadership in space with the shuttle's many successes. It is my great honor today to welcome them home.

I salute them and all of the men and women who have flown shuttle missions since the very first launch on April 12, 1981.

The shuttle program brought our nation many firsts. Many proud moments, some of which I was privileged to experience myself as a shuttle commander. I was proud to be part of the shuttle program and will carry those experiences with me for the rest of my life.

As we move forward, we stand on the shoulders of these astronauts and the thousands of people who supported them on the ground – as well as those who cheered their triumphs and mourned their tragedies.

This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary-and difficult-steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come.

I want to send American astronauts where we've never been before by focusing our resources on exploration and innovation, while leveraging private sector support to take Americans to the International Space Station in low Earth orbit.

With the bold path President Obama and Congress have set us on, we will continue the grand tradition of exploration.

Children who dream of being astronauts today may not fly on the space shuttle . . . but, one day, they may walk on Mars. The future belongs to us. And just like those who came before us, we have an obligation to set an ambitious course and take an inspired nation along for the journey.

I'm ready to get on with the next big challenge.

The future is bright for human spaceflight and for NASA. American ingenuity is alive and well. And it will fire up our economy and help us win the future, but only if we dream big and imagine endless possibilities. That future begins today."

- end -

NASA's Proud Space Shuttle Program Ends With Atlantis Landing Agency Ushers in Next Era of Exploration

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Kyle Herring

Johnson Space Center, Houston

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Wrapping up 30 years of unmatched achievements and blazing a trail for the next era of U.S. human spaceflight, NASA's storied Space Shuttle Program came to a "wheels stop" on Thursday at the conclusion of its 135th mission.

Shuttle Atlantis and its four-astronaut crew glided home for the final time, ending a 13-day journey of more than five million miles with a landing at 5:57 a.m. EDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the 26th night landing (20th night and 78th total landings at Kennedy) and the 133rd landing in shuttle history.

"The brave astronauts of STS-135 are emblematic of the shuttle program -- skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who propelled America to continued leadership in space with the shuttle's many successes," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary- and difficult - steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come."

Since STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981, 355 individuals from 16 countries flew 852 times aboard the shuttle. The five shuttles traveled more than 542 million miles and hosted more than 2,000 experiments in the fields of Earth, astronomy, biological and materials sciences.

The shuttles docked with two space stations, the Russian Mir and the International Space Station. Shuttles deployed 180 payloads, including satellites, returned 52 from space and retrieved, repaired and redeployed seven spacecraft.

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-135 was the 135th and final shuttle flight, Atlantis' 33rd flight and the 37th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

For more information about the STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

For information on NASA's future exploration activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/next.

- end -

Astronauts Wrapping Up Preparations for Landing Early Thursday

Space shuttle Atlantis’ crew is wrapping up final preparations for its planned landing at 5:56:58 a.m. EDT Thursday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew stowed the Ku-Band antenna, used for high-data rate communications and television from space, at 11:34 a.m. and will go to sleep at 1:29 p.m.

Mission managers have cleared Atlantis’ heat shield for entry after reviewing results of the “late inspection” survey of the shuttle’s reinforced carbon carbon.

The STS-135 landing ground tracks for Thursday’s two Kennedy landing opportunities are here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/news/landing.html

The official Spaceflight Meteorology Group landing forecast for Kennedy remains very favorable.

Last View

This image of the International Space Station was taken by Atlantis' STS-135 crew during a fly around as the shuttle departed the station on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. STS-135 is the final shuttle mission to the orbital laboratory.

Image Credit: NASA

Atlantis Deploys Final Payload PicoSat

Space shuttle Atlantis deployed a small, eight-pound, 5” X 5” X 10” technology demonstration satellite, called PicoSat, from a canister in the shuttle cargo bay. The satellite will relay data back to investigators on the performance of its own solar cells for analysis and possible use on future space hardware.

PicoSat was the 180th and final payload deployed in space shuttle history.

The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200

Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT

Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201

Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT

Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT

Atlantis' Reaction Control System Jets Fire Normally

Space shuttle Atlantis’ 44 reaction control system thruster jets each were fired in a standard one-pulse checkout that ensures they will properly control the shuttle during Thursday’s deorbit and entry back to Earth. All the jets performed normally.

The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200

Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT

Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201

Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT

Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT

Atlantis' Flight Control System Checks Out

Space shuttle Atlantis’ astronauts activated one of the ship’s three auxiliary power units, APU 1, and performed a checkout of the orbiter’s flight control surfaces. This standard day-before-entry test assures the crew and Mission Control that Atlantis’ elevons and speed brake will provide control once the shuttle enters the atmosphere for Thursday’s landing.

Soon, the crew will “hotfire” Atlantis’ 44 reaction control system thruster jets to verify their ability to steer the shuttle through its entry profile before it encounters the atmosphere.

The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200

Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT

Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201

Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT

Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT