Mission Status Center

A preliminary assessment of ascent imagery and data beamed down during an inspection of the shuttle Atlantis' nose cap and wing leading edge panels shows no signs of any significant heat shield damage, the chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team said Tuesday.

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Atlantis' reaction control jets have been fired for the latest course correction maneuver on the path to reach the space station. This burn lasted 12 seconds and changed the shuttle's velocity by about 2.7 feet per second.

The crew has extended the docking ring that will connect the shuttle's port to the space station, setting up the springs and shock absorbers to do their roles during the link. Commander Charlie Hobaugh also completed setting up the centerline camera in the docking port to be used in the final approach.

Having released its grasp on the inspection boom, Atlantis' robotic arm moved into position and has grappled the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 as a preparatory step for tomorrow's installation of the spare parts pallet onto the International Space Station.

The Orbiter Boom Sensor System has been locked down in the payload bay, its job of inspecting Atlantis' heat shield complete for today. The boom will be used again late in the mission for another round of observations to check for space debris impacts.

"The crew of Atlantis and the ship itself are doing really well up to this point. The mission is proceeding as planned," lead shuttle flight director Mike Sarafin says. "We are not working any significant issues."

Sarafin also said there were no obvious signs of damage or issues noted during the heat shield inspections today. However, it will be tomorrow night before ground analysts are scheduled to complete their work.

The spacewalking suits carried on Atlantis for transfer over the space station have been checked out without any problems.

The port wing sweeps by the inspection boom have been completed by the crew. It will take a day or two for ground analysts to review the data and declare the heat shield safe for re-entry.

The astronauts will return the 50-foot-long structure back into its cradle in the payload bay this afternoon. A few highlights remaining on the to-do list for today include the shuttle's arm grappling the first pallet of spare parts that will be handed off to the space station, the installation of the centerline camera in the Orbiter Docking System to help commander Charlie Hobaugh during tomorrow's approach to the space station, and the docking ring will be extended in preparation for linkup with the station's Harmony module.

The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. B) can be downloaded here.

Post-launch checks of the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on the leading edge of Atlantis' port wing are underway.

The crew has finished the nose cap survey already. The left wing inspections are next up in this multi-hour job to survey the shuttle to look for any signs of launch damage. The precautionary safety inspection has become a standard activity for all post-Columbia shuttle crews.

Mission Control says the crew is running about an hour ahead of the timeline.

The astronauts have swung the inspection boom into position out in front of Atlantis to get a closeup look on the shuttle's nose cap.

The crew is getting the inspection equipment relocated for the orbiter nose checks.

Inspections of space shuttle Atlantis' starboard wing just finished. The extensive imagery and laser data will be analyzed by specialists on the ground to determine if the spacecraft's heat shield suffered any serious damage during Monday's launch.

The mission's spacewalkers are working down on the middeck to test and ready the spacesuits to be worn during upcoming excursions outside the International Space Station.

Inspections of the starboard wing have gotten underway now.

The Orbiter Boom Sensor System, anchored on the end of shuttle Atlantis' robot arm, has been lifted it out of the payload bay to begin today's heat shield inspections. Scans on the starboard side of the shuttle will be performed first.

Space shuttle Atlantis' robot arm has grappled the Orbiter Boom Sensor System for the upcoming unberthing of the inspection device.

The Atlantis astronauts are working through a busy day in space, facing a lengthy heat shield inspection, spacesuit checkout and preparations for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station Wednesday. The astronauts were awakened a few minutes before 4:30 a.m. EST to begin their first full day in space.

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Mission Control has awakened the astronauts with the song "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe played for pilot Barry Wilmore to begin Flight Day 2, the crew's first full day in orbit.

Today will be spent inspecting Atlantis' heat shield for any signs of launch damage, a routine task for shuttle crews. Other activities include checking out the spacesuits to be worn during the mission's spacewalks and preparing equipment for tomorrow's docking to the space station.

After logging some overtime, the space shuttle Atlantis finally finished up a successful Flight Day 1 of mission and started their sleep shift an hour or so later than scheduled.

The robotic arm flexing and testing has been completed. And commander Charlie Hobaugh says the post-insertion checklist has been finished. Next up will be the crew's private medical conferences with the flight surgeon.

Read our earlier status center coverage.