After successfully delivering and installing Japan's Kibo module on the International Space Station, Discovery's astronauts are preparing to land in Florida on Saturday.
At about 11:20 a.m. EDT, Capcom Terry Virts told Discovery's Commander Mark Kelly that there are no concerns for re-entry and landing Saturday.
Analysis has shown the "bump" on the rudder-speed brake is normal. Mission Control compared today's images to preflight pictures of the area and they are normal.
The object that floated away is a clip that is used to protect the speed brake from heating during ascent. Its loss is no concern for re-entry.
Mission Control tells crew status of imagery analysis
At about 10:50 a.m. EDT, Capcom Terry Virts told Discovery Commander Mark Kelly that analysis of imagery is ongoing, and the object that floated away from the shuttle appears to be "a clip from inside the rudder speed brake, where the sides come together." Mission Control will continue to analyze the imagery and compare it to ground pictures, before making a definite conclusion. A loss of the clip would not cause concern for re-entry and landing.
NASA Television to replay video of object at 11 a.m. EDT
NASA Television will replay video that space shuttle Discovery's crew captured earlier this morning of an object floating away from the shuttle. The replay will occur at 11 a.m. EDT.
Imagery experts at Mission Control continue to examine the video and digital still photographs the crew transmitted to them. At about 7:38 a.m. EDT, Discovery's crew called Mission Control and said they had seen a one foot to 1.5-foot-long, rectangular object floating away from the shuttle, from behind the rear portion of the right wing.
Crew describes object floating away and bump on rudder
In conversations on NASA Television, space shuttle Discovery astronauts, completing a standard day-before-landing test of the shuttle steering jets, called Mission Control and indicated they had seen a one foot to 1.5-foot-long object floating away from the shuttle, from behind the rear portion of the right wing. They said it appeared to be a rectangular object. The crew captured a few seconds of video of the object and transmitted it to the ground.
Shortly afterwards, the crew described what they called a "bump" on the left side trailing edge of Discovery's rudder. The crew took photographs of the rudder area with high resolution cameras and is downlinking those images to Mission Control. Discovery's payload bay television cameras also were trained on the area and provided views of the rudder for ground experts to examine.
The crew completed the standard flight control system check out and reaction control system steering jet test, and is continuing to stow items in the cabin for Saturday's planned landing.
The deorbit burn is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. EDT Saturday, followed by landing at 11:15 a.m.
Astronauts begin Flight Day 14
Space shuttle Discovery's astronauts are performing the standard day-before-entry checkouts of Discovery's flight control system and reaction control system jets. Later in the day they will conduct interviews with CBS News, WCBS Radio and WINS Radio. Landing is targeted for Kennedy Space Center at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday.
Discovery astronauts wrap up day
Space shuttle Discovery astronauts are about to enter their "presleep" period. They go to sleep at 7:02 p.m. EDT. On Friday, they awake at 3:02 a.m. and, in preparation for Saturday's landing, will check out Discovery's flight control surfaces and test fire the reaction control system jets. Later in the day they will conduct media interviews with CBS News, WCBS Radio and WINS Radio.
Source: By NASA
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