Something may be wrong with the Shuttle's heat resistant tiles!

Keith just did a short bit about possible damage to the tiles.

The tiles are used to protect the Space Shuttle as it returns to Earth. A large hole in one of the wings, with a similar heat resistant material (carbon-carbon panels whereas the main tiles are ceramics) caused the February 2003 crash of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

UPDATE: Here is the report direct from Nasa's website:

"About 7:40 p.m. EST, the STS-116 crew members received word from the Mission Control Center in Houston that they are now scheduled to conduct an additional inspection of an area of interest on Discovery’s port (left-hand) wing. They will conduct the inspection with camera’s on the station’s robotic arm.

Leading-edge wing sensors detected a possible impact and flight controllers want to gather data with the arm’s camera. Engineers will analyze the imagery on the ground.

A Mission Status Briefing is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will be aired on NASA TV."

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

UPDATE 2, COURTESY DUer PINTO: NASA TV PRESS CONFERENCE!
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

UPDATE 3: NASA HAS SHOWED THE DAMAGE TO PUBLIC, DOESN'T LOOK BAD, BUT THEY ARE DOING AN ANALYSIS TO MAKE CERTAIN TILE DAMAGE WILL NOT HURT SHUTTLE.

it could be bigger soon.

Probably due to the cooling down of the shuttle wing structure. The pops and groans of the cooling structure can now be sensed much better than ever before. The signal intensity was 0.12G ... very small and affected only one sensor. Camera images just received show nothing out of the ordinary.

Other parts of the shuttle, such as the tunnel between the shuttle airlock and the SpaceHab module and ISS docking adapter also make contraction sounds as they cool down after a few days in space. These have been heard for years. If these new wing sensors had been installed on the shuttles throughout its history such events would be old hat by now.

I've been watching the mission on NASAtv, and there hasn't been mention of it.

Of course I could have missed it, but it would be mentioned sometime.

They can go out and take a look anyway. Might be they'll have to get a lift back with some cosmonauts.

I think they did test repairs on the last shuttle launch.

NASA needs to get creative very soon, ceramic tiles are 1960's technology. I'm sure they can figure something out using aerogel or nanotech.

but it turned out not to work well.

It was pretty interesting, because they documented it and showed it on TV.

Hopefully they're prepared to make repairs before returning (or they can stay at the Intl Space Station until another vehicle can bring them back?).

This is normal talk for them

The last two times there were areas slated for closer inspection and the press is always all "OMG they are going to die".

In fact friends are figuring out a drinking game for the press conferences done before, during and after these missions.

It centers around how many ways can the press ask questions that are basically really asking "are they going to die?"

Doesn't any one remember a couple of missions ago, there was a piece sticking out, and the press pushed the "everyone is going to die" meme. And in the end it was a bit of tile separator that was pulled out, and it was nothing.

NASA just treats everything as life-threatening these days, regardless of lack of risk there is.

So I personally am not worried.

But hey, it gives the press something to hyervent about, and gives NASA a little publicity.

And since then there have been tile problems of varying degrees on most of the missions.

You know, like "don't you remember we got attacked on 9/11?"

Of course I remember. And since then lots has changed.

Changes to the rocket foam/tiles, changes to the shuttle tiles. A total regime of photographing the times, closer views of areas of interest. Cameras on the rocket during launch. Three ways to replace/repair tiles.

But getting upset, or panicing, doesn't help. And just feeds the press's need to post "OMG they're all going to die" stories.

Although I am amazed how many people have forgotten the 2003 accident. Information overload I guess.

the edit mode timed out before I noticed

I personally think the shuttle fleet should be grounded permanently until we have the resources to build a newer vehicle that is simpler than the shuttle yet more robust and versatile. The shuttle is too complex and too fragile.

I'll be praying of course for their safe return and hope that the possible impact was nothing serious.

but NASA has to look at it in simulations to see if the small amount of damage could cause greater problems.

:hi:

If what I saw on NASA TV is it, the amount of damage is so slight it won't have any impact on re-entry. Remember that shuttles have come back from space missing entire tiles.

As a point of reference, when NASA tested firing foam against a leading edge wing panel, it blasted a hole about 10" x 16" in the panel. At one of the most critical places on the entire vehicle, there was a huge hole. The conference did say that the entire leading edge and nose cap were checked and no problems were found.

the first reports were unclear. I watched too and it doesn't look bad at all. They were just going to do a couple of just in case checks, but it looks a-ok.