...but watching NASA TV I did see an object, appearing white on camera and shaped like a rectangular curved body panel, fly from behind camera and past the underside of the starboard wing about 5 mins into the flight, and then another unidentified object fly past the port wing about a minute later (less easy to characterize because the camera was on the starboard side looking backwards so it was further away and passed too quickly behind the body of the orbiter). However, if pressed I would say that it looked very similar to object 1 although perhaps slightly smaller. The first was easier to see and it gave me quite a shock. The second was visible for less time but was clear nonetheless. I wonder if somebody could look at a replay and verify.

Remember that I pointed out that a particular launch a few years ago had hit a bird, and was politely told on this list that I was imagining it; and then the next day NASA said that the vehicle had hit a bird.

Marcus Massey
www.marcusmassey.com