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NASA analyzing debris & potential ice impact from Endeavour launch; sudden mission silence
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NASA audio and video feeds briefly went silent as crew members aboard Endeavour prepared to scan the space shuttle for any potential launch damage. Among the issues to be checked: trailing debris after launch, possible loss of a small piece of insulation, and a possible spotting of ice.
Once the feed began again on the web, NASA public affairs officials explained the sudden lack of information via audio and video as "technical issues."
The NASA feed still isn't functioning on my satellite provider. I contacted newsrooms at both Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center to ask about problems, and got recorded messages saying that the newsrooms were closed.
Ground controllers spotted two debris trails shortly after launch. Photos showed one debris trail at 33 seconds and the second at about two minutes after launch.
Mission managers will also analyze a concern about the possible stripping off of a small piece of insulation near the area where the orbiter and the left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) meet. Onboard the shuttle, crew members sent home pictures of what may be ice along for the ride.
Endeavour and its seven-member crew soared into space at 7:55 p.m. EST last night in a beautiful night launch poised against an orange harvest moon. Today's major activities include corrections to the flight path for docking with the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrrow and scanning with the remote camera that checks for damage to the orbiter.
The crew is using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), which functions at the end of a remote manipular arm and is loaded with special cameras and laser scanning systems to check for any damage. The OBSS is shown here deployed on STS-114.
NASA began in-flight inspections of space shuttles following the loss of the Columbia and its seven-member crew on Feb. 1, 2003 over Texas. Later analysis showed that a briefcase-sized piece of foam insulation had broken off the external tank and impacted the leading edge of the left wing. That accident damaged the heat protection system, causing the disaster on the orbiter's return home.
It's not uncommon to have small "dings" on thermal protection tiles after launch. In fact, after each launch, each ding is catalogued and analyzed. However, after Columbia's loss, NASA stepped up its efforts to inspect space shuttles after they arrived on orbit.
Other issues pending include a problem with an antenna. There's a small chance that the problem could affect communication with the space station during tomorrow's docking manuever. They're also tracking a "high" reading on one fuel cell transducer. That problem will also be tracked.
Prior coverage of the Endeavour mission is here.
Image credit: NASA
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