11.15.08

8:00 p.m. CST Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 
STATUS REPORT: STS-126-03

STS-126 MCC STATUS REPORT #03

The seven-member crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour spent the day 
completing a five-hour inspection of Endeavour’s heat shield using 
the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. Ground 
controllers will use these sensor images, as well as those collected 
during launch, to ensure that the shuttle’s heat shield is in good 
shape. <br/ >
Preliminary analysis showed a small piece of thermal blanket came 
loose from the aft portion of the orbiter during Endeavour’s ascent 
yesterday. This area is of no great concern since it is not an area 
that experiences high heat during reentry. The crew captured some 
images of the area during their inspection today, which will allow 
the ground controllers to look more closely and confirm the loss of 
the blanket and its size. <br/ >
The crew also prepared for tomorrow’s rendezvous and docking with the 
International Space Station, including checking out spacesuits 
onboard Endeavour that will be used during the mission’s four 
spacewalks. <br/ >
On board the space station, Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer 
Greg Chamitoff spoke with ground controllers about the procedures 
they will use tomorrow to capture images of Endeavour as the shuttle 
performs its backflip, or rendezvous pitch maneuver, in advance of 
the docking. <br/ >
Tomorrow’s docking is scheduled for 4:04 p.m. CST. The crew is due to 
go to sleep tonight at 12:25 a.m. and will awake at 8:25 a.m. <br/ >
The next status report will be issued after crew wake-up, or before, 
if events warrant.

	
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