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Coming Soon: Post-landing news, and touchdown pics!
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07 December 2002 - Evening Update - TOUCHDOWN! -
Commander James "Wex" Wetherbee and Pilot Paul "Taco" Lockhart brought
Endeavour in for a
sweet landing
today at KSC's Runway 33.
The orbiter
touched down after a
flight of
13 days, 18 hours, 47 minutes and 38 seconds,
concluding the
fifth and
final Shuttle mission of the year!
NASA reports:
Endeavour Lands Safely
 The
STS-113 and
Expedition Five
crews landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:37 p.m.
EST on Saturday, December 7. This is the 60th landing at Kennedy and marks
the end of a successful mission to the International
Space Station. STS-113,
which launched Nov. 23, is returning home after delivering the P1 (P-One)
Truss and the Expedition
Six crew to
the station. The Expedition Five crew returns to Earth after 178 days on
station and 185 days in space.
 With Commander Jim Wetherbee and Pilot Paul Lockhart at the
controls, Endeavour touched down at [2:37PM EST/1937 GMT]. STS-113 was the
16th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
Returning to Earth with Wetherbee, Lockhart and Mission Specialists
Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington was the Expedition Five crew --
Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev and NASA ISS
Science Officer Peggy Whitson.
This was the 19th flight of Endeavour and the 112th shuttle
mission. Saturday's landing was the first time a mission ended on the
fourth day of landing attempts.
Review our Web landing coverage and
enjoy the photos of Endeavour's return to KSC,
concluding mission STS-113!
The post-landing news conference, originally scheduled for 8:30PM EST
tonight, has been postponed until
1:30PM EST/1830
GMT tomorrow (Sunday). Also, there was
no crew walk-around after the
Shuttle landed. Wonder if anyone had trouble readjusting to gravity?
Landing video
here and
here. Landing pics
here.
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07 December - COMING HOME - Flight Day 15 is indeed the last for Endeavour.
NASA reports:
STS-113, Expedition Five Crews Headed to Florida
 The
STS-113 and Expedition Five crews are headed home. STS-113 Commander
Jim Wetherbee fired Space Shuttle Endeavour's engines at [1:32PM EST/1832 GMT] to begin the descent to Kennedy Space Center, Fla., where it
will land at [2:37PM EST/1937 GMT] today.
STS-113, which launched Nov. 23, is returning home after a successful mission to
the International Space Station. Endeavour delivered the P1 (P-One) Truss
to the station. While docked, Endeavour's crew performed three spacewalks
to activate and outfit the P1 and transferred cargo between the two
spacecraft.
STS-113 also rotated space station crews. It delivered the
Expedition Six crew to the station and is returning Expedition Five to Earth.
The Expedition Five crew -- Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev and
NASA ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson -- is wrapping a six-month stay at the orbital outpost.
Look for landing pics soon!
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07 December - Afternoon Update - GO FOR DEORBIT BURN - Endeavour is coming home
to KSC!
NASA reports:
Four Landing Opportunities Available to STS-113 Today
The five astronauts and two cosmonauts aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour and
flight controllers are preparing for landing today. Four opportunities are
available to STS-113 today -- two are at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., and
two are at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The first opportunity of
the day is at [2:37PM EST/1937 GMT] at Kennedy, with the deorbit burn
occurring at [1:32PM EST/1832 GMT].
The weather forecast in Florida is more favorable than the
previous three days in which Endeavour's landing attempts were waved off.
The main concerns at Kennedy are cloud cover and high winds. The forecast
for Edwards calls for acceptable conditions.
Check the play-by-play links at
top right for up-to-the-minute commentary, and follow the
action live on NASA TV!
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07 December 2002 - Landing Day! -
One way or another, Endeavour is coming home
today.
The Shuttle has been
delayed an unprecedented
three times due to
bad weather
at KSC, but things are
looking better in Florida - and the
West Coast site
has also been activated,
in case they need to land at
Edwards AFB. Endeavour
has enough propellant and supplies to stay in orbit
until tomorrow - but we
don't expect mission managers to stretch things that far.
NASA reports:
Four Landing Attempts Available Today
 NASA
Managers waved off [Friday's] landing attempt due to poor weather
conditions at the Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour has four landing opportunities
on Saturday, December 7.
With Florida preferred, Endeavour could also land in
California today as the crew begins a fourth day of landing
preparations. Two opportunities exist for a landing on either coast of
the United States today. The forecast for a Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
landing today is the most favorable seen so far during Endeavour's
attempts, but still includes a slight chance of problematic low clouds
and fairly strong winds. The forecast for Edwards Air Force Base is
pristine if needed for landing today. Endeavour's payload bay doors will
be closed as landing preparations continue just before [11AM EST/1600 GMT]
today. A go or no-go decision on the first opportunity for a KSC landing
is anticipated around [12:30PM EST/1730 GMT].
Stay tuned to our
live landing coverage as Endeavour returns to KSC, concluding
mission STS-113! This is also your last chance to test your knowledge with
our
Mission Quiz!
Watch
NASA TV on Saturday to see coverage of STS-113's return to Earth.
Space Shuttle Endeavour's next landing opportunity is at 1:37 p.m. CST
[2:37PM EST/1937 GMT].
NASA TV Schedule
See below for landing
opportunities. Check the play-by-play links at
top right for up-to-the-minute commentary, and follow the
action live on NASA TV!
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06 December 2002 - Evening Update -
Another wave-off. STS-113
now has the "dubious distinction" of being the
first Shuttle flight
to
postpone landing 3
times straight.
NASA reports:
Weather Delays STS-113 Landing for Third Straight Day
 Low
cloud ceilings and precipitation at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., forced
mission managers to wave off Space Shuttle Endeavour’s second and final
landing attempt for Friday. It was the third consecutive day that poor
weather has prohibited the STS-113 and Expedition Five crews from coming home.
 The
focus now turns to Saturday’s four landing opportunities,
which include two in Florida and two at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The
first opportunity is during orbit 215 at [2:37PM EST/1937 GMT] at
Kennedy, with the deorbit burn occurring at [1:32PM EST/1832 GMT]. The
second attempt is on orbit 216 at [4:15PM EST/2115 GMT]. The first
Edwards attempt is during orbit 217 at [5:45PM EST/2245 GMT]. The
second Edwards attempt is at [7:22PM EST Saturday/0022 GMT Sunday] during orbit 218 and
is the final attempt of the day.
Forecasts call for much improved conditions in Florida on
Saturday and acceptable conditions at Edwards. Forecasters and controllers
will continue to monitor the weather.
New
ISS pics are available in the NASA Gallery.
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06 December - Afternoon Update - The
first of today's landing opportunities has been
cancelled. We
should know the final decision on the
second opportunity by about 2PM EST. NASA reports:
Landing
Hopes Turn to Today's Second Opportunity
 Flight
controllers waved off STS-113's first landing opportunity of the
day at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., due to low cloud ceilings and rain.
Now, they turn their attention to today's second and final opportunity,
which begins with a deorbit burn at [2:27PM EST/1931 GMT] and culminates
with a [3:33PM EST/2033 GMT] landing.
If Endeavour is unable to come home today, four opportunities are available Saturday --
two in Florida and two at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Check the play-by-play links at
top right for up-to-the-minute commentary, and follow the
action live on NASA TV!
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06 December 2002 - Flight Day 14 - It's
Friday -
a good day for a
landing? We
doubt it -
weather is still
not good.
Anything is possible, however, so keep
checking for updates.
NASA reports:
STS-113 to Try Landing Friday
 Flight
controllers are once again closely watching weather conditions at
the Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour and its seven-member crew is slated
for a Florida landing today, weather permitting.
There are two landing opportunities in Florida today. The first
begins with a deorbit firing of Endeavour’s engines at [12:51PM EST/1751 GMT]
resulting in a [1:57PM EST/1857 GMT] landing. If weather does not permit
a landing on the first opportunity, there is a second, with a deorbit burn
at [2:27PM EST/1927 GMT] resulting in a [3:33PM EST/2033 GMT] landing.
Preliminary forecasts for today continue to show low cloud
ceilings, possible windy conditions and rain at the Florida landing site.
A clearing trend is expected over the next 24 hours with improved
conditions in the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday. The
alternate shuttle landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California
will be called up for support as well on Saturday.
Stay tuned...
For reports covering undocking and the first two landing attempts, see
Part 6 of our Mission Journal.
[STS-113 Home]
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