Endeavour's crew has completed scans of the orbiter's reinforced carbon-carbon wing panels and nose cap taken during its first full day in orbit.The crew has sent images to the ground for analysis, including close-up shots of an area on the back, left side of the shuttle where mission managers suspected a strip of insulation might have come loose about 30 seconds after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center on Friday.
However, first looks at the pictures don't show any obvious problem.
"There's no apparent damage there in the imagery that we gathered," said
Mike Sarafin, the lead flight director for STS-126, during an 8 p.m. briefing at Johnson Space Center in Houston. "And again, our imagery analysts are off assessing it."
Even if the 12- to 18-inch strip of insulating blanket has torn off, senior shuttle program manager LeRoy Cain said earlier today it likely is not a significant concern because its location - near an Orbital Maneuvering System pod used to adjust the shuttle's course on orbit - is not subject to the most intense heat on re-entry.
More photos will be taken of the shuttle's belly on Sunday when mission commander Chris Ferguson orchestrates an orbital back flip 600 feet beneath the International Space Station, shortly before a planned 5:04 p.m. docking.
Engineers are also investigating an antenna problem, possibly related to a recent software upgrade, that could limit the shuttle's radar capability as it approaches the station.
In that case, a star-tracking system would be implemented, and a light illuminated on the space station during a night passage would transform it into a star for navigation purposes.
"It acts effectively as a star," Sarafin said.
The problem is not expected to disrupt the docking schedule.
Upon docking, Endeavour's seven astronauts will be welcomed in a ceremony by three residents already on the station: Americans Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff, and Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov.
In other activity today, spacewalkers Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen completed successful checkouts of spacesuits they and Shane Kimbrough will use during four spacewalks.
A second orbital burn to adjust Endeavour's trajectory toward the station was cancelled in favor of a longer one Sunday.
"Today was a very busy day on orbit for the crew of Endeavour," Sarafin said.
IMAGE NOTE: Click on the image, captured today by Endeavour's crew, to enlarge it. It shows the area of interest where mission managers suspected a strip of insulation might have torn from Endeavour near its left Orbital Maneuvering System pod.
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