Soyuz TMA-22 lands in Kazakhstan
William Harwood - CBS News
Strapped into a cramped Soyuz ferry craft, outgoing space station commander Daniel Burbank and two Russian cosmonauts, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin, undocked from the International Space Station early Friday and plunged back to Earth to close out a five-and-a-half-month stay in space. Descending through a clear blue sky under a large red-and-white parachute, the Soyuz TMA-22 descent module landed near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 7:45 a.m. EDT (GMT-4; 2:45 p.m. local time) after a 56-minute fall from orbit.
Soyuz craft carrying three-man crew lands safely
Peter Leonard - Associated Press
A Soyuz space capsule carrying two Russians and an American touched down safely Friday on the sweeping steppes of central Kazakhstan, ending the men's 163-day stay on the International Space Station. Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin and NASA's Daniel Burbank returned to Earth as the Russian-made module landed on schedule at a remote, dusty site north of the town of Arkalyk, then rolled on its side. NASA television broadcast vivid images of the capsule carried by a parachute swaying slightly as it floated downward in the clear skies while six all-terrain vehicles approached the landing spot. Eight search-and-rescue helicopters circled the landing site to ensure a speedy recovery.
Astronaut, cosmonauts safely return to Earth
Todd Halvorson - Florida Today
An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are back on Earth today after a high-flying departure from the International Space Station. Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov backed a Russian Soyuz spacecraft away from the outpost about 4:18 a.m. EDT. Flying along with him: U.S. astronaut Dan Burbank and cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin. The spacecraft trailed the station by about 12 miles when Shkaplerov fired the ship’s braking rockets at 6:49 a.m. The four-minute firing slowed the ship by 257 miles per hour, or enough to drop the vehicle out of orbit. The three crewmates landed on the central steppes of Kazakhstan north of Arkalyk at 7:45 a.m. EDT.
Soyuz Space Capsule Lands Safely with U.S.-Russian Crew
Mike Wall - Space.com
A Russian space capsule touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia Friday, safely returning a joint U.S.-Russian crew to Earth after months aboard the International Space Station. The Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft landed at 7:45 a.m. EDT (1145 GMT), less than four hours after undocking from the space station. Riding home aboard the space capsule were NASA astronaut Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin, who were reintroduced to the strong tug of Earth's gravity after spending 165 days, or nearly 5 1/2 months, in orbit.
Russia brings three spacemen safely back to Earth
Agence France Presse
Two Russian spacemen and a NASA astronaut touched down safely on Friday in the Kazakh steppe aboard a Soyuz capsule after a stay of almost six months aboard the International Space Station. Seventeen Russian helicopters and jets patrolled the clear blue skies as the silver metal capsule parachuted gracefully through the air before bumping into a field of straw and early spring grass and rolling over gently onto its side. Live NASA TV footage showed a team of medics swarm the capsule and pull out a smiling Anton Shkaplerov -- a Russian awarded the honour of breathing the fresh air first because he occupied the capsule's middle seat.
Dragon bolted to Falcon rocket ahead of engine firing
Stephen Clark - SpaceflightNow.com
Engineers connected SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to its Falcon 9 launcher Thursday, setting the stage for a busy weekend of preparations for a brief firing of the rocket's nine main engines on the launch pad Monday. The Falcon 9 rocket's Merlin 1C first stage engines will fire for about two seconds in a standard pre-launch test of the fully assembled rocket before liftoff. The hotfire is scheduled for the conclusion of a practice countdown at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) on launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. SpaceX plans to webcast the event starting at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
Space Shuttle Arrives in New York
Patrick McGeehan - New York Times
Enterprise, the prototype for the space shuttles, flew over the New York City area, riding atop a specially equipped 747 jet, before landing at Kennedy International Airport at 11:22 a.m. And, perhaps in a scenario familiar to many air travel passengers arriving in New York, the shuttle took its time meandering over the area before landing. Crowds of people lined various vantage points across the area to get a glimpse of the shuttle, which flew up from Dulles Airport near Washington on Friday morning.
Welcome, Enterprise! Shuttle catches ride to New York aboard jumbo jet
Scores turn out to watch museum piece arrive in city
Charles Beacham & Larry Mcshane - New York Daily News
The space shuttle Enterprise went airborne one last time Friday before returning to Earth — and a new life as a museum piece. The shuttle, piggybacking atop a modified jumbo jet, made a rare Friday fly-by along the Hudson River past thousands of gawkers and space geeks on rooftops, piers and boats. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, you know?” said Richard Grizzell Jr. of Brooklyn, who watched from the shuttle’s future home — The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
Space shuttle arrives in NYC; crowds watch in awe
Meghan Barr - Associated Press
In a city understandably wary of low-flying aircraft, New Yorkers and tourists alike watched with joy and excitement Friday as space shuttle Enterprise sailed over the skyline on its final flight before it becomes a museum piece. Ten years after 9/11, people gathered on rooftops and the banks of the Hudson River to marvel at the sight of the spacecraft riding piggyback on a modified jumbo jet that flew over the Statue of Liberty and past the skyscrapers along Manhattan's West Side.
Shuttle Enterprise arrives in NYC
Associated Press
An unusual flying object came to New York from Washington on Friday — the space shuttle Enterprise. Enterprise zoomed around the city, riding piggyback on top of a modified jumbo jet. Its trip included flyovers over parts of the city and landmarks including the Statue of Liberty and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Manhattan’s west side, before landing at its temporary home, Kennedy Airport. At the Kennedy tower, air traffic controllers had been busy fielding inquiries from circling pilots, who were informed they’d be delayed from landing because of “special activity.” Some wondered how much longer they would be in the air. Others asked where they should look to get the best view. When the big event occurred, the controller said to the shuttle craft: “Welcome to New York, and thanks for the show.”
Piggybacked On A 747, NASA Shuttle Enterprise Arrives In City
NY1 TV News
The Space Shuttle Enterprise has reached its final frontier in the Big Apple. NASA's prototype orbiter touched down Friday at John F. Kennedy Airport following a flight from Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., on its way to its future home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Manhattan's West Side. The Enterprise got a piggyback ride to the city atop NASA's specially-designed 747. After taking off, the shuttle flew north to New York, then made trips up and down the Hudson River, passing the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano-Narrows bridge before making its final approach into JFK around 11:30 a.m.
Space shuttle Enterprise lands in the Big Apple
Justin Ray - SpaceflightNow.com
The trailblazing prototype for the space shuttle fleet, the Enterprise, was hauled today atop a modified Boeing 747 to New York City where it will become a new exhibit aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a vintage aircraft carrier turned museum anchored in the Hudson River. With her aerodynamic tailcone still attached, Enterprise will be set within a protective bubble on the aircraft carrier's flight deck starting this summer, a unique artifact of the space program to display in the nation's largest city.
Space Shuttle Enterprise's Historic Flyover Wows New Yorkers
Denise Chow - Space.com
Hundreds of space shuttle fans braved the chilly temperatures and biting wind Friday morning along the Hudson River here to catch a glimpse of NASA's prototype orbiter as it flew past the museum it will soon call home. Enterprise, the agency's original test shuttle, flew to New York today from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., atop a modified Boeing 747 jet. Before landing at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, the piggybacking duo flew over the Statue of Liberty, then followed the Hudson River past the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where it will soon be placed on public display. The shuttle flyover attracted fans of all ages, who gathered around the Intrepid museum and Pier 86 on Manhattan's west side to witness the historic event.
When the Space Shuttle Buzzed New York City: How Did They Do That?
Jeffrey Kluger - Time
Looking up is something New Yorkers rarely do. There's no better way to be thought a rube — or, worse, a tourist — than for someone to think you're craning your neck at the skyscrapers. But Friday morning New Yorkers made an exception, as the shuttle Enterprise buzzed the city on the back of a retrofitted 747, en route to permanent display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. The residents of Washington, DC got a similar sky-show last week, when the shuttle Discovery came to town to settle into its new home at a Smithsonian annex in Chantilly, Va. In November, the shuttle Endeavour will arrive in Los Angeles the same sensational way, destined for the California Science Center. The twinned ships make a wonderfully cool sight, but they inevitably raise two questions: Just how do you pull a piggyback flight like that off, and isn't there a better way to do things? The answers are: carefully and no.
Leonard Nimoy to Shuttle Enterprise: 'Live Long and Prosper' in NYC
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
Science fiction met fact with a "Star Trek" twist here Friday when the space shuttle Enterprise, named in honor of the starship from the beloved television show, came face-to-face with Spock — Leonard Nimoy, that is. The "Star Trek" actor was on hand at John F. Kennedy International Airport when the shuttle Enterprise flew in atop a jumbo jet Friday morning. Enterprise was delivered from Washington, D.C. to the Big Apple, where it will eventually go on display at Manhattan's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. "This is a reunion for me," Nimoy said during a ceremony after Enterprise's touchdown. "Thirty-five years ago, I met the Enterprise for the first time."
How Nerds Named NASA's Space Shuttle Enterprise
Life's Little Mysteries
The naming of the space shuttle Enterprise involves one of the funniest presidential orders of all time. Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter, was originally to be named Constitution, in honor of the Constitution of the United States. However, "Star Trek" fans started a write-in campaign urging the White House to instead select the name of the starship that James T. Kirk captained in the original TV series. Although President Gerald Ford did not mention the campaign, he directed NASA officials to change the name, saying he was "partial to the name" Enterprise. In recognition of their namesake, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and most of the principal cast of the original series were on hand when the shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of Rockwell's Air Force Plant 42, Site 1, Palmdale, Calif., assembly facility on Sept. 17, 1976.
Space Shuttle Enterprise's new keeper: Q&A with Intrepid museum curator
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is gearing up to welcome the space shuttle Enterprise to its permanent collection this summer. Enterprise, a prototype shuttle that never made it to space, but paved the way for the rest of the fleet, was gifted by NASA to Intrepid when it assigned its three retired shuttles to museums last year. The orbiter is due to fly from its old home in Virginia (it had been on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday. SPACE.com caught up with the new keeper of Enterprise - the Intrepid's Eric Boehm, curator of aviation - to talk about the museum's plans for its new addition.
Discovery flies for last time, ends chapter in aerospace history
Alexander Riedel - Air Force News Service
After almost 27 years and 39 flights in Earth's orbit, the space shuttle Discovery arrived at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., April 17 on its way to its final resting place. The last moments in the air for Discovery began at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., mounted on top of a modified Boeing 747. The retired spacecraft will take final residence in a hangar at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center April 19, in Chantilly, Va. At its new home, Discovery will stand on the same spot the shuttle Enterprise occupied since the center's opening in 2003, according to Dr. Valerie Neal, the curator at the National Air and Space Museum. Unlike Discovery, Enterprise was only a test vehicle and was never used for space flight, making it a less significant artifact to experts. Therefore, it was moved to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.
House Appropriations Committee approves CJS bill
SpacePolitics.com
During a two-hour hearing on Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee debates and then approved by voice vote the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill. The committee made no amendments to the bill that affects NASA, which receives a little less than $17.6 billion in the bill. In his statement introducing the bill, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) got a little emotional when discussing NASA. “Last week, when the shuttle came over, I bet almost everyone in this room went outside to look at it. That was almost a sign that American people are thirsting for this program to do something great,” he said. The funding for NASA’s exploration programs provided in the bill, along with the “decadal study” of NASA’s human spaceflight plans that is separately getting started, will help “get back to the days whereby people got excited about the program as they did in the days of Alan Shepard and John Glenn.”
Clinton: Branson my last chance to go into space
Associated Press
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's childhood aspiration of becoming an astronaut was dashed by NASA, but she may not be giving up on the dream of reaching the heavens. Clinton welcomed the British billionaire Richard Branson to a State Department conference on global investment on Thursday by saying she was "excited he's here because many, many, many years ago, I wanted to be an astronaut, and I think he may be my last chance to live out that particular dream." She often tells the story about how NASA rejected her inquiry on joining the space program in the early 1960s because she was a girl. Branson's Virgin Galactic Venture will send paying tourists into space. (NO FURTHER TEXT)
Ohio natives John Glenn, Toni Morrison to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Sabrina Eaton - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Former Ohio Sen. and astronaut John Glenn will be among 13 people who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Barack Obama announced Thursday. Novelist Toni Morrison, a Lorain native, also will receive the medal, the nation's highest civilian honor. Obama will present the awards at the White House in late spring. Other recipients will include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, songwriter and musician Bob Dylan, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the late Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low and NCAA women's basketball coach Pat Summitt.
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