STS-125 MCC Status Report #22 – Friday, May 22, 2009 – 1:30 a.m. CDT

The crew of Atlantis is making preparations on board the shuttle this morning for the first of two landing attempts at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew woke up this morning at 1:01 a.m. CDT to “The Galaxy Song” from “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.” It was played for the entire crew.

Mission managers continue to monitor the weather in Florida for today’s landing. There is a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico that is causing rain and thunderstorms around Kennedy. Forecasters are expecting broken clouds, thunderstorms and winds that could violate landing criteria around the time of both Friday landing opportunities. The first landing option is at 9:00 a.m. and the second is at 10:39 a.m.

Should mission managers wave off landing, the next four opportunities will be Saturday with two at Kennedy and two at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The opportunities at Kennedy are at 8:16 and 9:54 a.m. With a favorable California forecast, the opportunities there are at 9:46 and 11:24 a.m.

If mission managers feel the weather is improving in Florida today and decide to target the first opportunity, the crew will be given instructions to close Atlantis’ payload bay doors at 5:10 a.m., and the crew will begin suiting up at 6:28 a.m.

The next status report will be issued after landing today or at the end of the crew’s day if landing is waived off.