William Atkins
Thursday, 16 July 2009 19:41
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 3
It's a busy week for NASA as they launch the space shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) to the International Space Station and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of its first mission (Apollo 11) to land astronauts on the Moon.
The space shuttle
Endeavour launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 06:03:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), or 22:03 UTC, on Wednesday, July 15, 2009, on its assembly mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The
STS-127 mission is already in the news as a large amount of insulating foam was seen falling off the external tank and onto the thermal protection system (TPS) of the orbiter.
The July 16, 2009 ABC News article “
Space Shuttle Marred by Debris During Launch” states,
“Debris is not unusual during a launch -- usually one or two pieces are spotted -- but sources said the amount of debris seen during this launch was remarkable. Video from a camera on the fuel tank showed at least a dozen instances of debris falling toward the shuttle as Endeavour rocketed away from the launch pad.”
NASA will make a detailed inspection of the orbiter so make a final determination as to whether it will be safe or not to return to Earth at the end of its mission. It is much to early to make any comments on this possible problem.
In all likelihood, damage was minor to the orbiter’s underbelly. However, before any decisions are made, thorough analyses will be made. Currently, NASA is stating that the damage looks less extensive than first thought, but several days will be used to investigate the entire situation.
In fact, on Thursday afternoon, July 16, the astronauts will be performing a routine inspection of Endeavour’s thermal shielding with the use of a 100-foot laser-tipped boom.
Page two continues with comments from Michael Collins.
