NASA Facts National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Landing the Space Shuttle Orbiter

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Orbiter Discovery touches down on runway 33 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility,

www.nasa.gov successfully completing mission STS-95 in 1998.
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Landing History
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Returning From Space
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The figures above for a KSC landing are approximate.
They will vary for each mission, depending on several
factors. In this case, the returning orbiter weighs less
than 220,000 pounds (99,792 kilograms) and the glide-
slope approach is 20 degrees.
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 Deorbit Burn
60 min. to Touchdown
282 km (175 miles)
26,498 km/h (16,465 mph)
Entry Interface
31 min. to Touchdown
122 km (76 miles)
25,898 km/h (16,093 mph)
Maximum Heating
20 min. to Touchdown
70 km (43.5 miles)
24,200 km/h (15,038 mph)
Exit Blackout
12 min. to Touchdown
55 km (34 miles)
13,317 km/h (8,275 mph)
Terminal Area
Energy Management
5.5 min. to Touchdown
25,338 M (83,134 ft.)
2,735 km/h (1,700 mph)
Approach and Landing
86 sec. to Touchdown
12 km (7.5 miles) to Runway
682 km/h (424 mph)
20,865 km Approach and Landing Interface
(12,966 miles) 86 sec. to Touchdown
12 km (7.5 miles) to Runway
682 km/h (424 mph)
3,048 M (10,000 ft.) Altitude
20o Glide/Slope
Initiate Preflare
32 sec. to Touchdown
3.2 km (2 miles) to Runway
2,856 km 565 km/h (351 mph)
533 M (1,749 ft.) Altitude Flare to 1.5 o
(1,775 miles)
Complete Preflare
17 sec. to Touchdown
1,079 M (3,540 ft.) to Runway
885 km 496 km/h (308 mph)
(550 miles) 41 M (134.5 ft.) Altitude
Wheels Down 1.5 o Glide/Slope
14 sec. to Touchdown
96 km 335 M (1,099 ft.) to Runway
(60 miles) 430 km/h (267 mph)
27 M (89 ft.) Altitude
Touchdown
12 km 689 M (2,261 ft.)
(7.5 miles) from End of Runway
346 km/h (215 mph)

Deorbit Maneuver to Approach and Approach and Landing Interface

Landing Interface Events to Touchdown Events

These two charts represent an example of the sequence of events or flight milestones from the deorbit maneuver of
the orbiter through touchdown. The times, distances and speeds will vary for different missions, according to a variety
of factors such as mission inclination, trajectory and glide slope.

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NASA: Explore. Discover. Understand.

FS-2000-05-30-KSC John F. Kennedy Space Center