NASA decides not to fix damaged tiles

The crew of the space shuttle Endeavor said in a media briefing from space that they are in agreement with NASA on it's decision not to risk a spacewalk to the shuttles underbelly. “We think they absolutely did the right decision.” The spacewalk is considered risky because it takes the crew members below the shuttle where their helmet cams are unable to operate. The crew at mission control have been studying the issue for a week and have determined that the craft is fit for re-entry. Our thoughts will be with you STS-118: Endeavor!

NASA's mission site gives no clues - business as usual

I decided to have a look at the mission site this morning to see what NASA was saying about Endeavor and possible damage to it's underbelly. Nothing too revealing there, according to the site Endeavor's crew is preparing for a scheduled space walk with a number of goals in mind, all related to the International Space Station. The only clue that there might be concern is in the following statement: "Meanwhile, the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, which was activated after Friday’s docking, will be shut down during the spacewalk. The transfer system may allow Space Shuttle Endeavour and the STS-118 crew to stay at the station longer. A decision on a possible mission extension is expected to be made Sunday."

Image of astronauts preparing for space walk.
Check out NASA TV (Yahoo!) for space walk coverage.