Space shuttle Atlantis’ crew completed today’s inspection of the shuttle’s thermal protection system at 8:17 a.m. EDT. The crew began the inspection early. They used 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 crew is maneuvering the arm for stowage in Atlantis’ payload bay.