[sarex] STS-121 MCC Status Report #25

[Arthur Rowe <azrowe80@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

12:30 p.m. CDT, Sunday, July 16, 2006
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

    07.16.06
STATUS REPORT: STS-121-25

STS-121 MCC Status Report #25

Discovery is targeted for a landing at 8:14 a.m. CDT Monday at the 
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For that landing, Discovery's engines 
would be fired at 7:07 a.m. CDT Monday to begin its descent. A second 
opportunity is available for Discovery to land at Kennedy on Monday, 
beginning the descent with an engine firing at 8:43 a.m. CDT and leading 
to a touchdown in Florida at 9:50 a.m. CDT. Flight managers do not plan 
to consider other shuttle landing sites on Monday.

The weather forecast for landing on Monday calls for a chance of rain in 
the vicinity of Kennedy's shuttle runway that could be unacceptable for 
Discovery's landing.

Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Mark Kelly checked the 
shuttle landing systems and steering jets early today. A test run of one 
of the three generators that power the shuttle hydraulics found that 
auxiliary power unit operating normally. A minute leak in that system 
has remained at expected levels. All three units are planned to be run 
as normal for landing.

The astronauts spent the rest of their planned final full day in orbit 
stowing gear and securing the shuttle for the trip home. Key events 
leading up to Discovery's first landing opportunity on Monday include:

4:27 a.m. CDT -- Discovery's payload bay doors are closed
6:07 a.m. CDT -- Discovery's astronauts begin to strap in for landing
6:48 a.m. CDT -- Mission Control "go" or "no-go" for the deorbit engine 
firing

The next STS-121 mission status report will be issued after Discovery's 
landing, or earlier if events warrant.
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