"How soon before they can check out the Shuttle for any potential damage?"
Well - the arm sensor boom gets a thorough work out tomorrow - surveying the leading edge of both wings, and the underside of the shuttle - visually in both cases, and using a laster mapping system in the first instance.
"How long will they be in orbit and what are the main points of the mission?"
12 Days I believe - three main purposes
1) Checkout the changes to the STS system - the tank changes, the sensor boom, imaging efforst etc
2) Try out some tile repair systems both in the payload bay and inside the shuttle itself
3) Resupply of ISS and spacewalks to do some parts swopouts (Reaction Wheel) and prep work for future construction
Spaceflightnow.com always has fantastic day by day outlines of exactly what they're going to be doing, when etc. Bill Hardwood does some great writeups.
Doug
Space/Science » in reply to re: The External Tank camera shots were seriously cool.
re: The External Tank camera shots were seriously cool.
The whole thread (33 posts)
- In orbit !!! Huray! (n/t)
- Just an aside...
- Yes!!! Well done NASA team
- Possible Debris Spotted Falling From Shuttle
- Don't celebrate until after it safely lands (no jinxes please) (n/t)
- re: In orbit !!! Huray!
- The External Tank camera shots were seriously cool.