STS-70 Day 9 Highlights

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On Friday, July 21, 1995, 8 a.m. CDT, STS-70 MCC Status Report # 16 reports:

Low clouds and fog at the Kennedy Space Center.have caused mission managers and flight controllers to postpone Discovery's landing 24 hours until early Saturday morning.

Flight Director Rich Jackson directed the five STS-70 astronauts to remain aloft for another day after poor visibility prevented Discovery's homecoming on two consecutive landing opportunities. Landing support was not called up at the backup landing site at California's Edwards Air Force Base for today.

Discovery's astronauts were informed that their landing had been waved off for the day at 7:10 AM CDT after astronaut Steve Oswald, flying weather reconnaissance in a Shuttle Training Aircraft over the landing strip, reported that he could not see the 3- mile long runway from his vantage point.

Commander Tom Henricks, Pilot Kevin Kregel and Mission Specialists Don Thomas, Nancy Currie and Mary Ellen Weber climbed out of their launch and entry suits after the wave-off was declared and prepared to begin another eight-hour sleep period at 1:42 p.m. CDT. They'll be awakened at 9:42 p.m. to resume preparations for another try at coming home tomorrow.

Two landing opportunities are available at the Kennedy Space Center Saturday. The first calls for a deorbit burn at 4:26 a.m. CDT with a landing at 5:26 a.m. CDT. the second opportunity calls for a deorbit burn at 6 a.m. CDT with a landing at 7:02 a.m. If the weather does not cooperate at KSC, Discovery will be directed to land at California's Edwards Air Force Base. The one Edwards opportunity tomorrow will start with a deorbit burn at 7:28 a.m. CDT with a landing at 8:29 a.m. CDT.

On Friday, July 21, 1995, 2:30 p.m. CDT, STS-70 MCC Status Report # 17 reports:

Discovery's crew spent a quiet extra day aloft after canceling efforts toward a landing this morning due to fog and low clouds at Florida's Kennedy Space Center shuttle runway.

The crew began an eight-hour sleep period at 1:42 p.m. CDT and will awaken at 9:42 p.m. to refocus landing efforts toward a Saturday morning touchdown in either Florida or at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Discovery has a total of three landing opportunities Saturday, two to Florida and one to California. The first opportunity would have the shuttle fire its engines at 4:25 a.m. CDT to descend to a Florida landing at 5:26 a.m. CDT. A second opportunity would begin with an engine firing at 6 a.m. CDT culminating in a Florida touchdown at 7:02 a.m. CDT.

The third opportunity, to California, would begin with an engine firing at 7:26 a.m. CDT and result in an 8:29 a.m. CDT touchdown at Edwards.

The forecast for Florida tomorrow morning again calls for a possibility of fog and low clouds that could prohibit landing. The forecast for California calls for excellent landing weather, with only high, scattered clouds and light westerly winds.

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