12:11 PM EST June 13, 2008
The Associated Press
HOUSTON A metal clip fell from Discovery's brakes on Friday but NASA said it won't delay the space shuttle's scheduled landing on Saturday. The astronauts reported to Mission Control earlier Friday that they saw a rectangular object, about 1 to 1 1/2 feet long, floating away from the tail of the shuttle. It turned out to be one of three metal clips around thermal insulation. The insulation is in the shuttle's rudder speed brake, which is used to slow the spacecraft as it comes in for a landing. NASA says the missing clip isn't critical for landing. It's used to protect the speed brake from high temperatures during the shuttle's launch. "Orbiters have come back with those missing. It's just not a factor for entry," Mission Control told the shuttle crew. Discovery's crew had also reported seeing something sticking out from the left side of the shuttle's rudder. But Mission Control said it was probably just an optical illusion because of the rudder's angle, and the area looks the same as it did before the shuttle launched. "There's no issue with that," Mission Control said. Discovery's crew of seven is returning from the international space station after delivering and installing a new science lab. The shuttle is scheduled to land at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday in Florida. ___ On the Net: NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov |
