Watch Shuttle Endeavour's final return to earth tonight, at Kennedy Space Center

Above, a video embed for SpaceFlightNow's coverage of Shuttle Endeavour's landing tonight. You can track the trajectory live, using Google Earth—so cool.

Image below, via NASA TV: "This map shows the path space shuttle Endeavour will take to the shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its landing Wednesday at 2:35 a.m. EDT. " Here's the NASA main shuttle mission web page, with updates; SpaceFlightNow also has good coverage in a liveblog with frequent updates.

Here's wishing our astronauts a great landing; welcome home.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

MORE: News • Space

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

codesuidae

When I was living in Texas I once saw the shuttle coming in at night. Definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. You could see the bright spot of the hot shuttle and a trail of glowing sparks trailing for half the sky behind it.

IMO they really should make every reasonable effort to show off like that to the America public as often as possible, it’s really inspiring.
- Anonymous
  
  i’m curious if this sort of trail will be visible from Miami? anyone know?
elsuperjeffe

thanks for the info xeni.

i’m kinda amazed that it takes the penultimate landing for me to notice and google the APU flames near the tail while sitting on the runway. pretty cool….
Anonymous

I live in Naples, FL and I was woken up at 2:30 or so this morning by a loud bang. I was pretty sure someone was breaking into the house, I was up for the next hour – should have just come on here to see the news. Not a bad way to be woken up – people flying in from space.
Tau’ma

Coming Down Again~Lyrics
Anonymous

Be safe. God speed!
Godfree

Almost a good enough unicorn chaser. Thank you, Endeavor.
Anonymous

Just heard a HUGE bang a few minutes ago that sounded like a Cadillac landing on my roof, then googled space shuttle to find this. . . .looks like it entered right around here where i live! –john (of Cape Coral)
Jake0748

Yes! The Google Earth tracking thingie was completely awesome. Why’d they have to wait til the 2nd to last flight to come up with it? Too bad.

Xeni, don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but thank you so much for your great spaceflight coverage. This space nerd, for one, really appreciates it. :D
- holtt
  
  Agreed on both points Jake0748!
Anonymous

Butter smooth landing! WOOT WOOT!!!
omnivore

I notice that they still have to avoid Cuban airspace.