Sonic Booms, Gasps and Pantings

First sight of Discovery on finals.

Suddenly there were two sonic booms in quick succession. Still, no-one had spotted the vehicle.

It was a few minutes later, at 9:06 am, when there was an excited collective gasp as Discovery was spotted on finals. Cameras, mine included, worked overtime. Simultaneously I gave a running commentary into my minidisc recorder for "The Space Show."

Discovery has just touched its main wheels onto the runway and deployed its braking parachute. The wheels were hidden from our sight by the trees and the waiting "Elephant". In a few moments we will see its nose wheels touch down with a puff of smoke just after the Orbiter emerges from behind the trees.
Parachute trailing, the Discovery rolls at high speed along runway 33.
With the Discovery still rolling to a stop "The Elephant" gives chase.
Its job done, the parachute has been released. Brakes are now being used to slow the Discovery the final few tens of kilometres per hour.

Seconds later the vehicle sank behind some trees, only its vertical stabiliser visible. It reappeared with its main wheels on the runway and its nose gear high in the air. The nose wheel eventually lowered onto the runway and the tail parachute deployed as the Discovery rolled along the runway directly in front of us.

The Orbiter again partly disappeared to our right behind trees, with its tail and rump still visible across the tree tops.

The convoy of support vehicles now made its way onto the runway and headed toward the now stationary panting shuttle. Yes, like a steam engine, the Orbiter was panting. This was the exhaust from the auxiliary power units that drove the vehicle control surfaces during re-entry and landing.

See animation of landing.

See animation of triuphant flypast by Shuttle Training Aircraft.

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