LiveATC Discussion Forums

Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: Falcon900 on August 11, 2005, 07:12:28 AM

Title: Space Shuttle Descent and Landing
Post by: Falcon900 on August 11, 2005, 07:12:28 AM
I have to admit that staying up to watch the Discovery land in California was a pretty good highlight and something that the internet and especially high speed connection has bought to life, well for us outside the USA at least.
Combined with Nasa Tv and live ATC it was worth every minute considering that its Top of descent was just south of India, curving below Australia and tracking right up the length of New Zealand at a height of 167 mile and at 17,000 mile per hour! To have the updates of altitude and speed bought it all into reality but when she made the final righthand base turn onto finals for RWY at Edwards AFB and was at 17,000 feet at 10 miles I was stunned at its flightpath. One hell of a glider considering a normal aircraft is at 3,000 feet on an ILS at 10 miles!

It may be routine but it is still out of this world and well done to the crew.

Rgds

Hayden