Avatar Posted by moneymaker 516 days ago (http://www.nytimes.com)
Category: Science Discovery Environment | Tags: gouge caused debris spotter shuttle wing
A piece of debris hit the underside of the space shuttle Endeavour during liftoff on Wednesday and gouged a small but potentially worrisome divot in a heat shield tile, NASA officials said yesterday.

The gouge, spotted via images taken by the crew of the International Space Station as the Endeavour approached docking yesterday afternoon, is small, about three inches wide. Still, there were some visual indications that it might be deep.

“What does this mean?” John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team, said at a news conference yesterday. “I don’t know at this point.”

Astronauts will conduct a closer examination on Sunday, using a laser tool attached to the shuttle’s robotic arm to measure its exact shape. Based upon that information, NASA engineers will analyze how much heat might reach the Endeavour’s underlying structure when the spacecraft re-enters Earth’s atmosphere.

If necessary, the astronauts could repair the damage during one of their planned spacewalks.
Discuss   Add this link to...  Bury

Comments Who Marked Related Links

Copyright 2007 www.LinksMarker.com