Shuttle Crew Inspects Heat Shield
U.S. space officials said the crew of Atlantis inspected the shuttle’s heat tiles Friday to see if any damage occurred during the craft’s climb to orbit.
The shuttle lifted off Thursday from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on a mission to the International Space Station.
Crew members Friday morning used Atlantis’ robotic arm to check spacecraft’s underside, nose cap and the leading edges of its wings. A 50-foot boom extension on the end of the arm was used to inspect some of the hard to see shuttle surfaces, NASA said in a release.
The crew also made preparations for Saturday’s scheduled docking with the space station, where the crew is to install the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory. NASA said the mission is to include three spacewalks, delivery of a new crew member to the station and the return of another astronaut after nearly four months aboard the ISS.