CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Thursday, June 21, the space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to complete a 13-day mission to the International Space Station with a landing in Florida. The STS-117 mission increased the station’s power capability and delivered a new station crew member.
NASA flight directors will evaluate weather conditions at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., before permitting Atlantis to return to Earth. Thursday’s landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 1:54 p.m. and 3:29 p.m. EDT. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered on Thursday.
Two hours after landing, NASA officials will hold a briefing to discuss the STS-117 mission. The participants are:
– NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden
– NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier
– NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach
After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo initial physical examinations and meet with their families. Some crew members are expected to hold a news conference six hours after returning to Earth.
The Kennedy press site will open for landing activities at 8 a.m. Thursday and close one hour after the crew news conference. The STS-117 mission badges are in effect through landing. The press accreditation building on State Road 3 will be open on Thursday from 8-11 a.m. The last bus will depart from the press site for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour before landing. For updated information about the landing, call 321-867-2525.
If weather prevents a Kennedy landing Thursday, NASA will activate backup landing sites for Friday. NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., has limited facilities available to previously accredited journalists. For further information, call Dryden Public Affairs Office at 661-276-3449.
If White Sands Space Harbor is called up for strong consideration as a shuttle landing site, media desiring credentials to cover a landing there should contact the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office at 505-678-1134. Journalists with STS-117 mission badges from NASA will be issued credentials.
For the latest information on the STS-117 mission, visit:
