Atlantis and a 747 carrier aircraft will take off from El Paso, Texas, a bit later than planned this morning and reach Kennedy Space Center no earlier than 6 p.m. today. That's a few hours after Endeavour's crew is scheduled to fly into KSC for a countdown dress rehearsal and emergency launch abort drills.
The shuttle and crew arrivals will be covered live, and you can watch them here by clicking on the NASA TV image on the right side of the page to launch a viewer.
You can also sign up for text message alerts on this page as we update Atlantis' progress throughout the day, so you know when the piggybacked aircraft are getting close.
And track the flight by clicking the aircraft's tail number here: NASA911.
Starting the second day of a planned two-day ferry flight home from California, Atlantis is now expected to leave Biggs Army Airfield no earlier than 8:40 a.m. EDT, about an hour later than planned yesterday. The shuttle orbiter and modified 747 will make one or more refueling stops - not yet disclosed - before the final leg to the Space Coast.
Endeavour's crew is expected to touch down on KSC's three-mile landing strip around 3 p.m.
They'll be travelling in a modified Gulfstream jet called the Shuttle Training Aircraft, not in the customary cluster of smaller T-38 jets.
Mark Polansky, mission commander for Endeavour's STS-127 mission, will likely make some comments about the mission from the runway.
He'll be joined by pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tim Kopra, Tom Marshburn, Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, and David Wolf.
NASA is targeting a June 13 liftoff for the marathon 16-day mission to the International Space Station, which will add a "front porch" that completes construction of Japan's Kibo science laboratory.
But an official launch date for the year's third mission will be set Wednesday by senior NASA executives who will convene at KSC for a flight readiness review starting at 8 a.m.
A press conference to discuss the review is expected after 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Atlantis landed May 24 at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert after being diverted from Florida because rain that wouldn't let up.
The shuttle and its crew of seven completed a successful 13-day mission to give the Hubble Space Telescope a final overhaul by astronauts.
If weather permits, pilots of the 747 carrier aircraft could guide the shuttle on a low pass over Brevard County beaches, probably north of Patrick Air Force Base, before landing on Merritt Island.
Check out this interactive graphic by FLORIDA TODAY's Dennis Lowe to learn Ferry Flight 101.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the images. Top: Accompanied by a chase plane, the space shuttle Atlantis, aboard a NASA 747, departed the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 1 en route to Kennedy Space Center. Credit: AP Photo/Reed Saxon. Below: Mounted atop its modified 747 carrier aircraft, space shuttle Atlantis took off from Edwards Air Force Base at 11:06 a.m. EDT Monday, for the first leg of its cross country trip to back to Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA TV
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