If the shuttle lands on orbit 223, it will go right over us a bit after 8 AM. From http://www.space.com/nightsky/space-shuttle-landing-skywatching-100418.html
Should Discovery be waved off on this first attempt, a second attempt will be made on orbit 223. On this track, the shuttle would reach the Washington coast south of the Seattle-Tacoma area shortly after 7:00 a.m. PDT.
From Seattle, viewers should look 44-degrees above the southwest horizon at 744 a.m. PDT. Discovery will then pass over Southwest Wyoming, reaching an altitude of 48-degrees up in the north-northeast at 848 a.m. MDT as seen from Rock Springs. It will then pass to the north of Denver, Colorado at 849 a.m. MDT, at an altitude of 45-degrees and four minutes later it will be over Arkansas, making a flyover almost directly above Little Rock at 940 a.m. CDT, 87-degrees above the western horizon
even if cloudy, the sonic boom (heard about 90 seconds later) will be a dandy.
8:30 Eastern (6:30 Mountain...Right now!)
8:30 Eastern (6:30 Mountain...Right now!)
The first landing opportunity (orbit 122?) was ~6:30am mountain time (and it would have been far north of here - not visible from our vantage point), but they could not land on that orbit. Landing on the next orbit WOULD have put it right over us just after 8am - but now they postponed landing until tomorrow. Not sure what the flight profile will be tomorrow?
I saw the 2007 approach - the shuttle was visible at high noon, just over Kansas City. Today would have been a treat - sun behind us and right overhead. RATS!!!!!!!!!!! Rats, rats, rats. This would have been a treat.
Tomorrow?
even if cloudy, the sonic boom (heard about 90 seconds later) will be a dandy.
I remember hearing the shuttle fly over when I lived in L.A. (heading to Edwards). It produced two sonic booms... Ba-BOOM! Always made me feel good to hear the shuttle coming in... and that it wasn't an earthquake!
Good call, John. I thought you were talking about the first landing opportunity. Hopefully we will get a similar overhead trajectory tomorrow, too.
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