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<title>STS 135 Landing Updates</title>
<link>http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle</link>
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<title><![CDATA[NASA Landing Blog Signing Off]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Thanks for joining us this morning for the return of space shuttle Atlantis as it and its crew of astronauts close  a significant chapter in the history of  spaceflight. It has been an honor and privilege for   us to bring you these accounts of the shuttle program's achievements. Hopefully we have brought space and the shuttles' exploration of it a little closer.<br/><br/> Just as NASA's work is not done, neither is ours. We will continue to bring you detailed countdown coverage of upcoming  missions to Jupiter, the moon and Mars  this year. The NASA Web site also will provide mission coverage of the International Space Station. <br/><br/> So while we celebrate the shuttle's incredible 30 years of achievements, we have an eye on future accomplishments too. Until then, this is the NASA Landing  Blog signing off.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:06:33 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Bolden, Ferguson Praise Shuttle Mission]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden praised the crew of STS-135 after the group gathered near Atlantis on the shuttle runway almost two hours after landing. "They made us proud," Bolden said.<br/><br/>Atlantis Commander Chris Ferguson said the shuttle's will continue to inspire exploration and science.<br/><br/>"Although we got to take the ride, we hope (everyone) was able to take a little part of the journey with us," Ferguson said. Atlantis is set to go on display here at Kennedy. Ferguson said he hopes the shuttles on display will prompt a child to say, "Daddy, I want to do something like that when I grow up."]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:41:45 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Astronauts Walk Around Atlantis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Commander Chris Ferguson led his team of astronauts off the Crew Transport Vehicle and the four astronauts have joined numerous NASA officials including Administrator Charlie Bolden and Kennedy Space Center  Director Bob Cabana, both former shuttle astronauts. Ferguson, Doug Hurley Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to walk around the outside of the shuttle for a few minutes before talking to the news media at the runway.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:16:59 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Experiments Being Removed from Atlantis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While the astronauts adjust to Earth's gravity, technicians are rounding up a series of experiments so they can be recorded in the nearby Space Life Science Laboratory.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:09:51 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Shuttle Mission Control Signs Off]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;Your work here has made America and the world a better place,&quot; Entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci said as he praised the controllers in Houston for 30 years of service to the shuttle fleet. &quot;It's  been my extreme pleasure  and honor to work with each one of you.&quot;]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:58:23 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ferguson Signs off from Atlantis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;It's going to be hard, but we're going to to walk off Atlantis,&quot; Commander Chris Ferguson radioed from the spacecraft. With the rest of the crew already off the spacecraft, Ferguson is turning Atlantis  over to the shuttle's support teams.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:46:37 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Magnus Leaves Shuttle]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Sandy Magnus is now off the shuttle and inside the crew transport vehicle. Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley are continuing with their shutdown checklists in the cockpit of Atlantis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:41:39 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Astronauts Begin Leaving Atlantis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Thirteen days after climbing inside Atlantis at the launch pad, the crew of the shuttle are starting to leave now. Rex Walheim is the first off and Chris Ferguson is expected to be the last.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:39:01 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Hatch Open]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Technicians opened the side hatch on Atlantis and will begin working with the astronauts before the crew leaves the spacecraft.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:30:08 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Trucks Set Up Beside Atlantis]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The landing convoy is by Atlantis now making connections to service the shuttle so it can be taken to its hangar in a few hours. Among the trucks is the Crew Transport Vehicle, CTV, which is just like  hte people movers used at airports. A team of astronaut support technicians are inside the CTV to help the crew as they come off the shuttle.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:23:56 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Dawn Breaks at Kennedy]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Light is just coming up over the horizon at Kennedy to slowly show Atlantis on the runway. The convoys are in a holding position on the runway while technicians check the immediate area around the  shuttle for any hazardous conditions. The astronauts can take off their launch and entry suits now.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:16:14 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Atlantis Completes 33 Missions]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Having landed successfully at Kennedy, Atlantis has brought to an end the 135-mission career of the Space Shuttle Program. This was the 33rd flight of Atlantis, which made its first launch in October  1985. Some of its landmark missions include the last servicing of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and construction missions to the International Space Station.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:08:24 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ferguson: Shuttle Changed Our View]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;The space shuttle changed the way we view the world, the way we view the universe,&quot; Atlantis Commander Chris Ferguson said soon after landing. &quot;America's not going to stop exploring. Thanks for protecting  us and bringing this program to a fitting end.&quot;]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:01:45 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Wheelstop]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The shuttle is at rest now facing southwest on the runway. Inside, the astronauts will work through a lengthy checklist to safely shutdown the systems while the landing convoy based at Kennedy moves into place  so they can service the spacecraft.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:58:23 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Touchdown!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is home! It is rolling down the runway at Kennedy and its drag chute is open to help slow the spacecraft.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:57:27 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Gear Down]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Landing gear down and locked, touchdown momentarily.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:56:52 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Runway Lined Up]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is lined up with the runway now. The shuttle will land northeast to southwest on runway 15. Ferguson reports, &quot;Field in sight.&quot;]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:56:04 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Sonic Booms as Atlantis Nears]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The familiar twin sonic booms of the space shuttle era echo over Kennedy as Atlantis approaches.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:53:33 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Flying the HAC]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Commander Chris Ferguson is maneuvering Atlantis around the Heading Alignment Cone now, an imaginary circle pilots use to line up with the runway for final approach.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:52:52 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Mach 2.5]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis has slowed to Mach 2.5 as it continues its glide to Kennedy. Everything is on track for a landing.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:50:57 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Mach 4]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is going Mach 4 on its way to a landing.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:49:40 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ferguson: Gorgeous Day]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is over Florida now, heading quickly to Kennedy. Ferguson said it looks like a &quot;gorgeous day.&quot;]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:48:14 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[10 Minutes to Touchdown]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[All on course for landing at 5:56 a.m.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:46:30 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Atlantis Slowing, 15 minutes to Landing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is going Mach 14 now, 700 miles to runway and is 34 miles high.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:44:12 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[200 Orbits in 13 Days]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis completed 200 orbits of the Earth during STS-135 and delivered four tons of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station during 13 days in orbit. When Atlantis touches down, it will have  traveled more than 125 million miles in space and made 4,848 orbits.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:41:58 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ferguson: Really Cool Glow]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;We really wish we could share with everybody this really cool glow,&quot; Commander Chris Ferguson radioed as he and his crew go through entry heating in Atlantis. &quot;We're doing fantastic.&quot;]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:40:27 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Peak Heating]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis is encountering a plasma of super-heated air as it moves through the thickening atmosphere. The black heat shield tiles and gray reinforced carbon carbon on the wing edges and nose are protecting  the shuttle's belly and critical areas. There are also white tiles and thermal blankets on the top of the shuttle to protect those areas, as well. It is 2,300 miles from touchdown.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:38:14 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Convoys Moving into Place at Runway]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The specialized trucks and trained teams of technicians are taking their places near the runway so they can service Atlantis and see to the crew soon after landing. There are about 50 vehicles involved  in the operation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:31:52 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Entry Interface]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The shuttle is encountering the first heating of entry. The heat will reach its highest level in about 10 minutes. The maximum heating will last about 10 minutes. The shuttle will make a series of S-turns during  entry to slow down. Atlantis is 74 miles above Earth and descending at 500 feet per second.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:26:26 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[APUs Up and Running]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The three Auxiliary Power Units on Atlantis are operating now. They will power the aero surfaces of Atlantis to steer the craft using the wings, body flap, rudder and speed brake.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:15:43 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Final Return from Space]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This morning’s landing will mark the last of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program. Shuttles have landed in three places during the program’s history – Kennedy, Edwards Air Force Base in California and White Sands  Space Harbor in New Mexico.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:10:54 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Central America, Western Caribbean in Atlantis’ Flight Path]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis will pass over Central America as it enters the atmosphere and maneuvers to landing. It will cross the Caribbean Sea and pass near Western Cuba before moving into Florida airspace over Naples. Gliding  the whole way, the orbiter will cross over Florida to the northeast, culminating with a sweeping turn that will carry it over the Atlantic Ocean before it lines up with the runway at Kennedy.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:08:37 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Assigned Seats]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Commander Chris Ferguson is in control of Atlantis this morning as the spacecraft maneuvers through the atmosphere and lands at Kennedy’s three-mile-long runway. To his right is Pilot Doug Hurley, who can take  over control of the orbiter if the need arises. The pilots have typically flown a portion of the final approach on many shuttle missions. Behind and slightly to the right of Hurley sits Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus. Mission Specialist Rex Walheim is serving  as the flight engineer on this mission, so he is seated behind and between the commander and pilot.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:57:49 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Burn Successful, Atlantis on Course for Landing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Space shuttle Atlantis has slowed its speed to lower itself from orbit and descend into the atmosphere for a landing at Kennedy at 5:56 a.m. It is still moving faster than 17,000 mph, but that speed  will drop dramatically as the shuttle encounters the thickening air.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:53:05 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Deorbit Burn Underway]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The shuttle’s two orbital maneuvering engines are firing now to slow the spacecraft so it can enter the atmosphere. The burn began with the shuttle over Malaysia, and it will last three minutes, 17 seconds. Each  engine provides 6,000 pounds of thrust. One of Atlantis’ three auxiliary power units has been activated. The APUs provide the power to operate the shuttle’s aerodynamic surfaces on its wings and tail to fly the spacecraft through the atmosphere.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:49:37 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Atlantis Positioning for Deorbit Burn]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Space shuttle Atlantis, its payload bay doors closed, is flying backward now, its three main engines facing the direction of travel. That positioning places the two orbital maneuvering system engines so they  can fire for three minutes, 17 seconds to slow the spacecraft. After the burn, scheduled for 4:49 a.m., Ferguson will flip the shuttle over so its nose is facing the direction of travel and its heat shield-protected belly is pointing at the Earth. Entry interface,  occurs at 5:24 a.m. That’s the time when the shuttle begins heating up as it moves through the upper layers of the atmosphere. The heating air will form into bright plasma as the shuttle moves through and uses the friction to slow down from its orbital speed  of Mach 25.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:42:26 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Runway 15]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Atlantis will approach the runway to land on the northeast end of the Shuttle Landing Facility, runway 15. The shuttle will touchdown heading from the northeast to the southwest. Two banks of xenon lights are  on now at the northeast end of the runway to mark the landing field for Ferguson as he guides the shuttle home.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:36:34 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[“Go” for Deorbit Burn]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Mission Control gave Atlantis the “go” for the deorbit burn that will bring the shuttle home on the first opportunity at 5:56 a.m. The burn will take place at 4:49 a.m. and will slow the orbiter down by 223 mph, just enough to let it fall into the atmosphere from its altitude of 240 miles. <br/>Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim began drinking more liquids shortly before 4 a.m. to help them adjust to the gravity on Earth after 13 days in weightlessness.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:31:23 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Good Morning from the Shuttle Landing Facility!]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[We are in the Air Traffic Control Tower at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning to cover the historic return of space shuttle Atlantis to Earth. Landing is scheduled  for 5:56 a.m. The weather could not be better for a landing and it is a challenge to spot a cloud in the night sky.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:30:31 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Weather Forecast Favorable for Kennedy Landing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The Spaceflight Meteorology Group is forecasting favorable conditions for the landing of space shuttle Atlantis on Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There are two landing opportunities, the first at 5:56 a.m. and the second at 7:32 a.m. Forecasters are aided on landing day by firsthand observations by astronauts flying weather reconnaissance in a Shuttle Training Aircraft. They make practice approaches to the runway flying the same landing pattern as a returning shuttle and can report the details about conditions to the shuttle crew.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:57:01 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Atlantis Crew Makes Preps Before Landing Day]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Space shuttle Atlantis&#8217; crew is wrapping up final preparations for its planned landing at 5:56:58 a.m. EDT Thursday at NASA&#8217;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. Mission managers have cleared Atlantis&#8217; heat shield for entry after reviewing results of the &#8220;late inspection&#8221; survey of the shuttle&#8217;s reinforced carbon carbon. Join us at 4:30 a.m. EDT for the NASA Landing Blog, coming to you from the Air Traffic Control Tower at the Shuttle Landing Facility.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:27:59 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Less Than 24 Hours Until Landing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to touch down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in less than 24 hours, bringing to an end the remarkable 30-year career of the agency's Space Shuttle Program. The first chance to land comes at 5:56 a.m. Thursday morning and we will be here at the Shuttle Landing Facility to bring you all the details of the final return to Earth by astronauts on the wings of the space shuttle. See you then!]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:43:34 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Atlantis' Final Mission on Track for Thursday Landing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Space shuttle Atlantis has undocked from the International Space Station and is orbiting Earth on its own. Inside, the four astronauts are preparing for their return to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday. Our coverage of the landing will begin at 4:30 a.m. EDT for a landing at 5:56 a.m. There are two chances to land Thursday at Kennedy, the second at 7:32 a.m.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:20:38 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Join Us on Landing Day]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Follow along as Atlantis returns to Earth, concluding the STS-135 mission and the Space Shuttle Program.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:36:30 GMT</pubDate>
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