NASA Examining Nicks On Shuttle Tiles

(CBS/AP)  The Atlantis astronauts have uncovered a long stretch of nicks on their space shuttle, the result of launch debris.

They were inspecting their ship Tuesday for signs of launch damage when they came across the nicks. Mission Control informed the crew that it's a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four to five thermal tiles on the right side of Atlantis. The damage is where the right wing joins the fuselage.

Mission Control says it could be related to debris that came off the fuel tank almost two minutes after liftoff.

NASA says the damage does not appear to be serious, but more analysis is needed.

CBS News correspondent Daniel Seiberg reports a far more serious debris strike on a very sensitive part of the wing is what crippled Columbia's heat shield in 2003, causing it to break up during re-entry. All seven astronauts onboard were killed.

Atlantis blasted off Monday on a risky repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Endeavour is on standby in case a rescue is needed.

This final trip to Hubble is especially dangerous because of all the space junk in the telescope's 350-mile-high orbit. Atlantis seems to have come through its launch fairly well, at least. But the analysis is continuing.

Photos: Atlantis Blasts Off


Atlantis will catch up to Hubble on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Hubble, last visited by astronauts seven years ago, is way overdue for a tune-up. The space telescope was launched amid considerable hoopla in 1990, but quickly found to be nearsighted because of a flawed mirror. Corrective lenses were installed in 1993 during what NASA's science mission chief Ed Weiler calls the "miracle in space" mission.

The results were stunning and included the acclaimed "pillars of creation" image of Eagle Nebula, a star-forming region 6,500 light years away.

On this fifth and final repair mission, Atlantis' crew will replace Hubble's batteries and gyroscopes, install two new cameras and take a crack at fixing two broken science instruments, something never before attempted. Those instruments, loaded with bolts and fasteners, were not designed to be tinkered with in space.

They also will remove the command and data-handling unit that failed in September and had to be revived, and put in a spare that was hustled into operation. Fresh insulating covers will be added to the outside of the telescope, and a new fine guidance sensor for pointing will be hooked up.

Five spacewalks will be needed to accomplish everything. The work is so tricky and intricate that two of the repairmen are Hubble veterans, John Grunsfeld and Michael Massimino. Grunsfeld, the chief repairman, is making an unprecedented third trip to the telescope.

For more info:

Hubble Space Telescope

CBS News space analyst Bill Harwood's "Space Place" updates

[grabandgo]

NASA won't be happy until they kill another crew.

[38654ob]

grabandgo: these idiots shouldn't even be out there risking lives.

That's what they told Magellan, Columbus, Perry, and a thousand other explorers. Good thing they didn't listen.

[tmittelstaed]

"...The fact is, even on our moon and Mars, radiation and EM fields are going to be a problem for any kind of long-term stay...."--- Posted by Void_Master

Not really the case since the obvious solution is to go underground. Just go to some reasonably sized crater and dig straight into the side.

[Haug_Dude]

Ribbie149 - right on! - trying to get the Bible thumper's to understand what you are saying is like pounding a railroad spike with a #2 pencil -- if you have 12,500 years maybe, but hey ostriches place their heads in the sand because of instinct.

[budmag06]

I hope the astronauts took the putty, superglue and the duct tape along.

[debinok1]

But haven't all these been occurring since the beginning of civilization?
Posted by displeased

Yes they have. But several things had to happen first. Take the two witnesses, the Bible says the entire world will see them witness for 3 1/2 years, this was not possible at any other time in history. It is now with instant news from around the world. The jewish people had to be back in their homeland, that didn't happen until this century. The world has to turn its back on Israel, that is happening now. The moral decline that had to happen has been happening for awhile, but has gone farther this century. The great falling away of the church has only happened in the last few decades. All of these things had to happen first. Then when we see the wars and the disease and the natural disasters and famine, we will know that the time is close.

[ribbie149]

Well, gee, if we are in the END TIMES why worry about achieving ANYTHING during our lives? Why worry about the environment or global warming if it is God's master plan to pull the plug? I would place more credibility in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" than large sections of the Bible (a wonderful book, but written and edited by MEN). I wish you yahoos who believe in the End Times and the Rapture would just stay away from topics that involve science and facts and stick to your superstitious world view.

BTW, our astronauts are risking their lives to fix the Hubble Telescope for the same reason ALL explorers take chances- to increase the breadth of human knowlege and experience. If you don't get that, I suggest you go back to watching American Idol and have a beer and above all, don't ever do ANYTHING that would require you to think or be creative in any way. Life is so much easier that way.
ribbie149

[global_eye]

Hi holy-joe-722,

I truly respect your response and opinion. (btw, thanks for your service in WWII - you took part in a very great deed that helped change the course of events in a profound way)

I'm sorry I cannot go into detail here, as I have much more to say on all these topics, but I hope you will consider the following:

First, I'm not trying to convince anyone. I'm not a fanatic or religious nut at all. It's not a "philosophy" as I see it. It's something that will either prove true very soon or not. You can watch for yourself, obviously.

False prophets? YES! I'm well aware of what many (often abusive and extremely fanatical) Christians say about this. I, myself, grew up in a very Catholic environment.
Look around the world over the last few decades: There are tons of false christs that have emerged over the years. Many deluded individuals who have come forth in the public. Maitreya, the Christ, or World Teacher, has not come into the public saying "I'm the Christ, follow me, do this..." It won't be like that.

He came like a "theif in the night" in 1977 when nobody noticed. In an aeroplane "from the clouds" to fulfill the prophecies, but you have to do that in a modern way. It's the 21'st century.

You say "he doesn't want us standing around waiting for His return, He wants us proclaiming the Good News of salvation"
....I say, PRECISELY! You may have a completely incorrect interpretation of me. I'm not standing around waiting. I'm trying to help pass on to the public the Good News that these are not the "end times"...well, yes it's the end of a dying age of greed and ignorance, but not the world. It's really a beginning of a new, golden age of truth ahead.

We are about to embark on a whole new path, toward a world where people are not fighting against each other for their "God", out of fierce cut-throat competitive divisions...
but rather one where we learn to find balance in our economy, political structures...where economic and social justice creates a more sustainable world, where nations finally trust each other..

Christ taught sharing 2,000 yrs ago. It's amazing that Christians blast the idea that he could want to teach it again, now in a global sense...only this time with a much more sophisticated and intelligent world where the masses are already rising up, where "people power" is increasing every day.

www.WakeUpMankind.org

[daffy64]

Bud, we have got to solve the medical issues FIRST:
bone loss and muscle tissue degeration for even the shortest of these 10 day and several month trips out there....Astronauts, Cosmonauts....Japanese and Chinese...
there is no distinction by race or nationality...there is a REAL problem on maintaining
LIFE on a long trip....so, yes, Fix the Hubble and Clean up the debris if possible.

--

So employ artificial gravity. Read Zubrin's book.

[grabandgo]

these idiots shouldn't even be out there risking lives.