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Washington (AFP) Aug 12, 2007 Damage to the US space shuttle Endeavour's protective thermal shield caused by a piece of debris during launch appears to be less serious than previously believed, a NASA official said. But astronauts will go ahead with a scheduled inspection, during which the protective shield will be examined with the help of a laser attached to Endeavour's robotic arm, said John Shannon, a mission manager, during a press conference late Saturday. Video footage of Wednesday's launch showed a piece of foam detaching from the external fuel tank, according to Shannon. That piece of foam which could also have been covered with ice hit the shuttle, damaging its protective tiles. But since foam is lighter than ice, Shannon continued, damage was likely less serious. "I think we will have a final resolution on Monday when we do the thermo analysis," Shannon said. "The consensus in the mission management team is -- considering the flight history we had, the location of it -- all are very good signs that it will not be something that we will have to be worried about," the official said. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Shuttle at NASA Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com
NASA to take close look at Endeavour shield damage
Washington (AFP) Aug 12, 2007NASA engineers on Monday pored over new imagery of the space shuttle Endeavour's underbelly to decide if its damaged heat shield needed repair, as astronauts prepared for the mission's second spacewalk. The three-dimensional images of a gouge in the shield were taken Sunday by a camera, and measured by a laser, both of which were trained on the shuttle's protective surface.
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