I'm finding NASA TV to be very interesting and time consuming. The dialog that happens between the folks on the ground and the shuttle crew is, as you would expect, technical but you can really hear the personalities shine through. They are busy, and every step is carefully planned out to the smallest of detail.
Today is a big day, the shuttle crew will be using the Canadarm 2 to maneuver a boom equipped with laser sensors to the underbelly. The sensors will allow NASA to determine the extent of the damage sustained during liftoff and will provide them with the necessary information to decide whether a repair is warranted. Since the shuttle disaster of 2003, every mission now carries a repair kit for these circumstances. The chairman of the mission management team, John Shannon is reported to have said "In the past, we didn't even know we had damage and we flew back home. So what I would tell you is we're going to do all the work required to understand it. ... I would not even venture to guess what the probability is that we would have to go repair this." CNN Story here.
Today is a big day, the shuttle crew will be using the Canadarm 2 to maneuver a boom equipped with laser sensors to the underbelly. The sensors will allow NASA to determine the extent of the damage sustained during liftoff and will provide them with the necessary information to decide whether a repair is warranted. Since the shuttle disaster of 2003, every mission now carries a repair kit for these circumstances. The chairman of the mission management team, John Shannon is reported to have said "In the past, we didn't even know we had damage and we flew back home. So what I would tell you is we're going to do all the work required to understand it. ... I would not even venture to guess what the probability is that we would have to go repair this." CNN Story here.
