Discovery to Depart California on Sunday

The space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to depart her recent landing site in southern California for her home base at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday morning, that is if flight planners give the A-OK based on recent weather over Texas.

Discovery, which landed at Edwards, AFB and the Dryden Flight Research Center on September 11th following a two week space station resupply mission, was mated a top a NASA Boeing 747 jet this morning and is ready for the two day cross country flight.

Shuttle managers will meet again at about 2PM EDT on Saturday to determine the best flight path to take based on the latest weather observations over Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

On Wednesday, the aft main engine tail fearing was locked into position over the main engine nozzles to give the area a more aerodynamic style. On Thursday morning, the landing gear doors were closed on the orbiter as preparations were made to lift and mount the shuttle a top the 747.

A Sunday morning Dryden departure could see Discovery landing at Kennedy's shuttle landing facility on Monday evening, following an overnight stop over in central Texas.

Discovery May Depart California on Friday

The space shuttle Discovery could depart it's California landing site on Friday after being mated a top a 747 jet for its return to her home at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Discovery, which landed at Edwards, AFB in the south California desert on Friday evening, is being prepared for lifting and her mount a top a modified Boeing 747 jet later this week. Currently, officials at the Dryden Flight Research Center near Edwards state that the duel crafts could depart as early as this Friday morning for the two day trip back to Cape Canaveral.

Several turnaround technicians from Kennedy flew out to Dryden on Saturday and began work to safe and drain toxic fluids from the orbiter. They will begin lifting the 25-year-old space shuttle and begin stowing her landing gear.

Weather could force a one day delay in Discovery's departure and several at Dryden think that a Saturday morning departure is most likely to happen. They feel it will give the turnaround team more time to secure and bolt the orbiter down on the jumbo jet.

Discovery concluded a nearly 14 days space station resupply flight with a landing her due to bad weather along America's Space Coast. Friday's landing was only the third forced Edwards landing in the last ten months due to bad weather in Florida.

Atlantis a top 747 Begins Trek Home to KSC

Under beautiful skies, the Boeing 747 aircraft with the space shuttle Atlantis bolted a top took off from the California desert en route to an over night stay at Fort Bliss in western Texas.

The huge airliner was wheels up this morning at 11:07 am EDT, following take off from Edwards, AFB and the Dryden Flight Research Center in southern California.

The aeronautical duo then flew for two hours at an altitude between 15,000 and 15,200 feet through clear skies to land at Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas, at 1:06 pm EDT.

Atlantis Nears Sunday Ferry Flight to KSC

Servicing Atlantis on Tuesday at Dryden. NASA images

Technicians at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility in California continue to prepare the space shuttle Atlantis for her cross country flight a top a modified Boeing 747 for her return to America's Spaceport.

In a statement released today, Dryden officials stated, "managers are targeting lift operations to mount Atlantis on the modified 747 carrier aircraft on Saturday, and following a Flight Readiness Review the same day, are looking toward ferry flight departure just before sunrise Sunday morning at the earliest."

Atlantis is currently hoisted and level a few feet up in the huge steel cage known as the mate - demate device which will later lift Atlantis higher so that a Boeing 747 can be rolled underneath for attachment. There are three attachment points which Atlantis will use to mate to the 747 - the same attachment points used to mate with her external fuel tank.

On Thursday, technicians, wearing protective suits, will drain several toxic fluids from the orbiter's systems that could prove hazardous to unprotected personnel, Dryden officials commented today. They will also attach the white tail cone cover which will assist in making Atlantis more aerodynamic during the return flight to the Kennedy Space Center.

Shuttle Management at Dryden feel that the Boeing 747 with Atlantis a top, could depart California as early as Sunday morning. The trip will take two days.

Atlantis to Depart California on Sunday for KSC

Atlantis is moved off Runway 22 at Edwards on Sunday.

The space shuttle Atlantis will spend this week in sunny California, being serviced and docked to to back of a Boeing 747 aircraft prior to her trip back to her home on Florida's Space Coast.

Rains and low clouds diverted Atlantis from a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to a more weather perfect landing under blue skies and light wind at Edwards, AFB in southern California. A flight detour which will coast NASA about $1.6 million to get Atlantis back to Kennedy.

NASA believes that Atlantis could be ready as early as this Sunday morning for the 747/ Atlantis stack to depart Edwards for the two day trip to central Florida.

Today, technician and engineers, along with several more Kennedy support personnel made to flight from Orlando out to Dryden to assist with the ferry flight operations needed to mount Atlantis atop the 747 carrier aircraft. This morning,"personnel already at Dryden hoisted Atlantis in the Mate-Demate Device, placed it on jacks and carefully leveled it", according to a Dryden spokesperson.

Atlantis touched down at the adjacent Edwards, AFB run way 22 on Sunday morning after staying in space two extra days due to inclement weather at Cape Canaveral.