BREAKING NEWS: Atlantis to Have Laser Inspection for Damage

by Swan | February 8, 2008 at 12:50 pm | 10398 views | 3 comments

HOUSTON - The crew of Shuttle Atlantis conducted a painstaking laser inspection of the ship's wings Friday, looking for any signs of damage from its trip into space.

Launched Thursday after two months of technical delays, the shuttle was chasing the international space station in orbit with a special delivery: Europe's $2 billion Columbus lab. The shuttle was scheduled to reach it Saturday.

But first the crew of seven astronauts, had to determine whether the shuttle was damaged by at least three pieces of foam or other debris that came off the fuel tank two minutes after the liftoff.

Atlantis carries a 10 ton, $2 billion European laboratory module named Columbus in it's payload bay to support biology and physics experiments in space.

The launch on Thursday, which was belaboured with weeks of delays and technical glitches, will take French Air Force Brigadier, General Leopold Eyharts to the space station for just over a month, to replace astronaut Daniel Tani.

Such tests to determine the integrity of the wings and nose, are carried out using a laser-tipped inspection pole. These have become mandatory since the Columbia burned up on re-entry in 2003 - caused by a slab of fuel-tank foam.

A minor worry after take-off, was that cameras picked up three possible areas of ice or foam flaking off the external fuel tank. Conclusion of the inspection, does not mean immediate results - it will take a few days after Atlantis finally docks at the space station.

On the day of the launch, launch official Gerry Goodson was heard to say:

"We wish you smooth sailing to the New World among the stars,"

Of course, such a comment would have been meant to align itself with the experiences of Christopher Columbus.

More than 300 Europeans had gathered at the launch site to see the take-off commanded by veteran shuttle flyer Stephen Frick.

They celebrated with Belgian and French chocolates and sparkling grape juice. (NASA has a no-alcohol policy at the Kennedy Space Center.)

I'm sure Christopher Columbus would have been proud to have his pioneering experience magnified and celebrated for such an auspicious occasion.

Sources:

ABC News by Marcia Dunn

Space.com by Tariq Malik

Yahoo! News - By Liz Austin Peterson, Associated Press Writer

Forbes By Marcia Dunne

Los Angeles Times By John Johnson Jr., Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Image Sources:

Space.com

Technology and Science

Yahoo! News (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Reuters