Unusual shot of Discovery

[DaddyHoggy]

Via Twitpic

http://twitpic.com/1gklve/full

[Sarin]

Interesting, but caption is wrong, it should be "upside down" instead of "backwards".

And uh, do they ever clean the underside of the hull?

[Commander McLane]

Interesting, but caption is wrong, it should be "upside down" instead of "backwards".

What do you know? Perhaps it is flying backwards (and upside down)!

[JazHaz]

Flying backwards could be right, but not at the time Soichi took the photo. Didn't see the date when it was taken, but it could be when the shuttle does the "fly around" after undocking from the ISS, where the shuttle flys around the ISS before departing.

Flying backwards with the cabin facing the Earth is how the Shuttle starts its reentry manouvre.

The Shuttle fires its main engines to slow down in the direction of its orbital path, and consequently drops altitude.

It then does a backflip, turning end over end to orient the heatshield towards the atmosphere.

Reentry usually happens a day or so after undocking, so the Shuttle is normally a long way from the ISS.

[JazHaz]

The Shuttle is due to land at KSC tomorrow.

See the Mission Status Page to follow the reentry and landing.

If you are in the USA you might be able to watch the shuttle streak across the sky during reentry, probably the last time you will be able to see it.

[DaddyHoggy]

Soichi's original tweet says this photo was taken just after the shuttle pushed off from the ISS - so it could be upside and going backwards relative to the ISS.

[Killer Wolf]

"The Shuttle is due to land at KSC tomorrow. "

unless it's delayed due to the ash clouds

[Selezen]

That photo is of the shuttle in orbit, not on re-entry (if I'm looking at the correct photo). The CBDs are open and the Canadarm is deployed.

[Commander McLane]

Canadarm

For a German reader that sounds like a weird combination of Canada and intestine ("Darm"). Like a trade mark for intestines from Canada.