STS-125/HST SM-4 Status Report No. 19 (Forwarded)

STS-125 MCC Status Report #19
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 5 p.m. CDT

The space shuttle Atlantis crew enjoyed a day off, answered reporters'
questions and chatted with colleagues on the International Space Station
today. They'll switch gears on Thursday and get ready for landing.

Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael
Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel
fielded questions for about 40 minutes from reporters at NASA centers before
lunch.

After lunch, the crew had a chance to talk with Expedition 19 Commander
Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Koichi Wakata on the
International Space Station during a ship-to-ship call as the two vehicles
circled the Earth in different orbits. Later in the day, the station crew
toasted the first use of the station's new water recycling system with
fellow astronauts, engineers, flight controllers and program officials on
the ground.

The Hubble Space Telescope servicing crew will turn their attention to
landing tomorrow, stowing gear that has been used over the course of 10 days
in orbit and five spacewalks. They'll also check the reaction control system
thrusters and flight control systems that will be used to control their
reentry and descent through the atmosphere.

Mission managers completed their review of the late inspection of the
shuttle's wing leading edge and nosecap heat shield, and cleared the entire
thermal protection system for safe entry. Landing is scheduled for 9:01 a.m.
CDT Friday at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, weather permitting.

The crew is due to go to sleep at 6:01 p.m. The next status report will be
issued after the crew awakens at 2:01 a.m., or earlier if events warrant.