Live In Orbit: Shuttle debris strike studied

One of shuttle Endeavour's cockpit windows took a hit from a micrometeorite or a piece of space junk, but it doesn't appear to be a major problem.

Shuttle astronauts reported a ding in one of the multipane windows that was about twice the depth of a pencil eraser and about one-32nd of an inch wide.

NASA engineers are studying the issue, but it doesn't appear to be anything to be worried about. The Endeavour astronauts are continuing with the transfer of supplies and equipment between the shuttle and the station.

NASA pays close attention to any micrometeoroid and debris (MMOD) hits because they present the greatest risk to the orbiting space station.

A chunk the size of a dime could penetrate the hull of the station of the shuttle, causing rapid decompression of the spacecraft, and in worst cases, an emergency escape drill or death.

But in this case, the strike obviously is of no immediate danger to the crew. Operations aboard the shuttle and the station are continuing without problem while engineers on the ground analyze the data.

You can watch the action unfold here in The Flame Trench. Simply click the NASA TV box on the righthand side of the page to launch our NASA TV viewer and round-the-clock coverage of the STS-126 mission.