Atlantis’ heat shield is safe enough for the shuttle to return to Earth, mission managers said Wednesday, a day before the space shuttle was to land in Florida. A forecast for thunderstorms appeared to be the main obstacle for its return.
At the time of the shuttle’s first landing opportunity, at 12:55 p.m. CDT on Thursday, thunderstorms were predicted to be within 34 miles of the Kennedy Space Center and clouds within 8,000 feet, both violations of flight rules.
Before signing off on the landing, mission managers held an unusual, last-minute meeting to clear up three technical issues. Material known as gap filler appeared to be sticking out of a wing, a thermal blanket had peeled back during the June 8 launch and debris was found floating after Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station on Tuesday.
Engineers had wanted to make sure the gap filler could withstand re-entry and recheck data on the blanket, which was repaired during a spacewalk.
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Items compiled from Tribune news services.
