STS-125 Space Shuttle Atlantis Landing Set for Friday at 10am EDT

by Rob Walker | May 21, 2009 at 05:57 am

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As the space shuttle Atlantis' crew made final checks on their flight systems, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station tried out the new water recycling system. The ISS is getting ready to double the number of astronauts living there, from three to six. STS-125 has been a success so far: aside from ISS repairs and testing, the crew also repaired the Hubble telescope.

Atlantis is set to return to NASA's Cape Canaveral on Friday, May 22, although the forecast calls for a change of thunderstorms within 30 miles of the landing area and weather will still be poor when they are set to return.

The landing time has been set for 10:00:31 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center — with a second landing opportunity available at 11:39 a.m.

Track the landing in real-time on NASA Twitter at NASA's official STS-125 Landing Blog and on NASA TV.

Space shuttle Atlantis' crew completed a test of the Reaction Control System steering thrusters that will help control Atlantis' attitude and speed after Friday's deorbit burn. They also tested the shuttle aerosurfaces and flight control systems that will be used once the shuttle enters the atmosphere.

The last test of the improvements made at the International Space Station included drinking recycled water made from the astronauts waste. The system takes urine, sweat and water that condenses from exhaled air and processes it into drinkable water.

Thunderstorms pounded NASA's spaceport throughout the morning, and more bad weather was expected Friday when Atlantis was due to return home.
The weather did not dampen NASA's jubilation over the crew's impressive Hubble repairs, which garnered presidential kudos. On Thursday afternoon, the astronauts were slated to testify before a Senate panel, all the way from orbit. The subject was NASA's budget.

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