Space Shuttle Problems

[Christina]

HOUSTON - Sensors on the shuttle Atlantis have recorded a hit on the leading edge of the left wing, the same area where Columbia suffered fatal damage four years ago, NASA officials said Tuesday. However, they emphasized that the hit probably did no damage to Atlantis.The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NBC News that the area would be inspected to make certain that the wing will be safe.They said the hit was recorded early Monday by sensors in two of the reinforced carbon-carbon panels that are designed to keep the heat of atmospheric re-entry from burning up the spacecraft. The sensor system was upgraded after the 2003 Columbia tragedy, which led to the loss of the shuttle and its crew of seven astronauts.The strike may have been caused by a collision with a small meteorite or a piece of space junk in orbit, according to an internal NASA memo.Inspections of the shuttle on Saturday and Sunday turned up no evidence of damage to the shuttle's protective skin, except for a peeled-over thermal blanket that is due to be repaired during a spacewalk later in Atlantis' 13-day mission.Atlantis' astronauts have a variety of tools at their disposal for inspecting the area, including a highly sensitive, boom-mounted laser/camera system. If necessary, the astronauts could take a look at the wing during Wednesday's scheduled spacewalk.In an interview with NBC News' Jay Barbree, a senior NASA official downplayed the sensor detection, saying that a hit could be recorded even if no damage is done to the shuttle.The sensor system has recorded hits on the shuttle wing edges before, NBC News space analyst James Oberg noted. "Most were 'ghosts' — thermal creaking that the super-sensitive acoustic sensors picked up," he said. It's even possible for jostling aboard the shuttle to set off the wing sensors. Thus, NASA managers were reviewing the mission timeline to see whether any activity might have matched up with the time of the sensor hit.and a side note....mission has been extended from 11 days to 13.