Shuttle Due to Land This Morning

UPDATE: A go no-go decision on landing at the first opportunity this morning (Wednesday) will be made at 7:21 am EDT for a deorbit burn at 7:41 am and landing at 8:48 am. The weather is currently forecast 30% no-go because of a slight chance of rain showers within 30 miles.

ORIGINAL STORY: The space shuttle Atlantis and its 6-member STS-132 crew are due to land tomorrow morning at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), FL. There are two landing opportunities: 8:48 am and 10:22 am EDT. If weather interferes, there are two opportunities at KSC on Thursday, and additional chances at KSC and Edwards Air Force Base, CA on Friday.

This is the last scheduled flight of the Atlantis orbiter, although it may be suited up for flight one more time as the so-called “launch on need” mission should anything go awry with the final shuttle launch. Only two more shuttle missions remain on the schedule: STS-133 and STS-134, nominally scheduled for September and November of this year.

Also, three of the six International Space Station (ISS) crew members will return to Earth on Tuesday, June 1, on Soyuz TMA-17, leaving three aboard. Three new ISS crew will be launched on Soyuz TMA-19 on June 15 to join them, returning the crew complement to six. To keep track of ISS comings and goings, check NASA’s spaceflight website.