Space shuttle Atlantis’ crew has begun today’s inspection of the shuttle’s thermal protection system. They will use the 50-foot-long Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a high fidelity, three-dimensional scan of areas of the shuttle that experience the highest heating during entry – the wing leading edges and nose cap. Managers and engineers in Mission Control will review the data today and tomorrow to validate the heat shield’s integrity. The inspection is scheduled to take several hours.
Today’s mission status briefing is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.
Today’s Mission Management Team Briefing is scheduled for 1 p.m.