NASA scientists watch for wind, rain as shuttle Atlantis heads home

May 28, 2000
Web posted at: 8:09 a.m. EDT (1209 GMT)

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (CNN) -- Astronauts aboard space shuttle Atlantis are scheduled to be back on Earth by Monday, as the United States celebrates Memorial Day, but high winds and rain could keep the shuttle in space a bit longer.

Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida shortly after 2 a.m. Monday, but a bad weather forecast could keep the shuttle in flight until Tuesday or Wednesday. The crew is returning after completing a mission to upgrade the International Space Station.

Mission Control will try to land Atlantis in Florida on Monday or Tuesday before considering NASA's alternate landing site, Edwards Air Force Base in California, on Wednesday.

The Atlantis astronauts said noise was not a problem at the space station, despite previous reports. Noise levels were 60 decibels, about as loud as normal conversation. "I never wore my earplugs," said Russian Yuri Usachev. An earlier shuttle crew also complained the air made some of them sick.

Mission commander James Halsell said he was not concerned about a shut-off valve on one of the orbiter's engines that may have become lodged in open position earlier in the flight. "We have back-up procedures that would allow us to shut down the engine -- in fact we have two or three back-up procedures. So my short answer is I have no concerns at all," said Halsell.

Earlier, mission managers gave the crew several hours of free time in recognition of their rapid work pace over the six days Atlantis was docked alongside the orbiting outpost.

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Space shuttle Atlantis had departed the International Space Station on Friday as the two craft flew 220 miles over Kazakhstan at a rate of five miles-per-second.

Atlantis Pilot Scott "Doc" Horowitz had kept the speed of the two vehicles relative to one another to an almost imperceptible half-a-foot per second difference as he gingerly fired the thrusters to back the quarter-million pound orbiter away.

Station left energized

The 70,000-pound international station was left higher, better equipped, brimming with supplies and, quite literally, energized.

"All of our mission objectives have been accomplished," said NASA manager Jim Van Lack. "We left the station in excellent mechanical condition."

Top priority for the seven-member crew was the installation of four new 800-amp batteries on the Russian-built "Zarya" module -- replacing cells that were ruined by sloppy charging procedures at mission control in Moscow.

Ground controllers say the new batteries are working as designed -- and the station is at full power for the first time in many months.

The crew also changed out some items that have failed or fallen out of warranty during the 18 months the station has lapped Earth every 90 minutes.

New smoke detectors, fire extinguisher air filters and fans were installed. A faulty communications box was swapped out.

The crew also toted aboard a wide assortment of items that will, no doubt, come in handy for future long-term residents of the station: a treadmill, garbage bags, bungee cords, can openers, sewing kits, notepads and English/Russian and Russian/English dictionaries.

Atlantis crew members Jeff Williams and Jim Voss logged a successful six-and-a-half- hour spacewalk -- lashing down an improperly installed U.S. crane, finishing construction of a Russian crane and replacing an ailing antenna.

Station literally gets a boost

During a trio of thruster-firing sessions in as many docked days, Atlantis Commander Halsell gave the station a 28 mile upward push -- leaving it in the desired orbit for the critical docking of the Russian-built Service Module.

That piece of the million-pound station will provide control, guidance and living quarters for the vanguard crews. It is slated for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in mid-July -- more than two years behind schedule.

With about 450 feet between the two craft, Atlantis flew a semi-orbit around the station and conducted a photo survey for engineers on the ground.

Later, the crew planned to prepare the cabin and stow gear for landing, which is now scheduled for nine days after they first lifted off.

Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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