BREAKING NEWS: Shuttle Landing Track to Pass Over Alabama

Images Courtesy NASA

Space Weather News for April 18, 2010
https://spaceweather.com

SPACE SHUTTLE RE-ENTRY: On Monday morning, April 19th, space shuttle Discovery will make a rare “descending node” reentry over the continental United States. The returning spacecraft will pass over or close to many towns and cities en route to landing in Florida at 8:48 am EDT, including Fort Peck Lake, Montana; Pierre, South Dakota; Sioux City, Iowa; St. Louis, Missouri; Tupelo, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida. Observers along western parts of the ground track could see the shuttle blazing through pre-dawn darkness. As Discovery makes its way east, it will enter daylight and fade into the bright blue background. If you can’t see the shuttle, however, you might be able to hear it. The shuttle produces a sonic double-boom that reaches the ground about a minute and a half after passing overhead. Check https://spaceweather.com for maps and more information.

Perhaps some of our readers have experience with viewing the shuttle passing overhead on its way to landing. If so, please comment.

A fly in the ointment however…rain is forecast for Monday at the Shuttle Landing Site in Florida and this could postpone the landing until Tuesday.

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