8-9-05 Blogging to you live....

"3,419 miles to touch down at Edwards Airforce Base. Banking to the left with wings angled 80 degrees horizontal. 24 minutes to touch down."

I live in Texas. I recall the last Shuttle re-entry. I thought I would not watch this one. I find it is not morbid fascination that peaks my interest this morning. It is prayer. It is hope. Fingers are crossed and I am watching the NASA screens.
This is something my father has always been fascinated by. I have watched in the past, in my own sort of awe. However, this always makes me reflect on the fact that my father remembers the very first space launches. How amazing that must have been.
I suspect he is reminded of that boyish excitement each time we do this now.

6:48a.m. CST "Discovery's speed 15,000 mph. Altitude 43miles." (Seriously. Let that sink in!)

6:53a.m. CST "Discovery's speed 13,600 mph. 1,450 miles to Edwards Airforce Base."

6:57a.m. CST "speed is mach 17 (11,500mph). Descending through 194,000 feet. 1,000 miles from E.A.B. 13minutes to touch down on runway 22"

7:00a.m. CST "Banking back to the left, the third of four banks Discovery performs to dissipate speed. 470 miles to touch down"
"Discovery Houston Ground Track is all "GO"."

7:05a.m. CST "As the shuttle begins it's aproach to E.A.B it will perform a right overhead 196 degree turn to align with the runway. Now 155 miles out.
-21miles 3,200 miles p/h. Forth bank. En route to the 50th landing for a space shuttle at E.A.B. 7.5 minutes to touch down. (From the naked eye it is a flaming white ball in the night sky)
-"Discovery Houston, take air data." Speed 2,000 mph 81 miles to touch down. Altitude 80,000 feet. (Beginning to take shape. A bright white triangle.)
-Mach 1.5 at 7:07a.m. (We have clear visual of the wings)
-Just over 4 minutes to touchdwon now. 28 miles out. Pilot Jim Kelly piloting the Discovery as it goes sub-sonic.
-7:10 Now at 30,000 feet. Descent to the runway is 20 times steeper than that of a commercial airline descent.
-7:11 22,000 feet
-7:11 Discovery has the runway in sight. (the nose is bright white)
-7:11 7,000 feet
-seconds later 5,000 feet
-then 3 miles to touch down
-1,000 feet Landing gear down and locked.
-Main gear touch down.
-Drag chute deployed.
-Nose gear touch down.

And discovery is home. Welcome home friends.
Whew.