Back on Earth, the situation at all twenty-four airports had settled into an uncomfortable one.
Every authority had confirmed receipt within the forty-eight hour window. Some had confirmed within hours. A few had pushed close to the deadline. But all twenty-four had sent their confirmations through the coordination channel, and all twenty-four were now waiting.
The coordination notice had said technical specifications for the shuttle would be provided to air traffic control teams separately, upon confirmation of the notice. That implied a sequence — confirm, then receive. A reasonable reading was that the specifications would follow the confirmation within a reasonable window.
But no specifications had arrived and no follow-up communication of any kind had arrived.
The forty-eight hour confirmation window had closed. Then another twenty-four hours passed. Then another. The coordination channel remained silent.
