July 5, 2006 — Discovery's crew used highly sensitive cameras attached to a 50-foot boom Wednesday to carefully examine the space shuttle for any signs of damage from the previous day's launch. Nothing serious was reported, but it was much too early to draw any conclusions, officials said.
The only unusual thing found, at least for now, was a whitish splotch on Discovery's right wing that looked like a bird dropping. And there was one on the wing a few weeks ago at the launch pad, said flight director Tony Ceccacci.
Ceccacci said the imagery experts would study the splotch and make sure it was nothing more than a bird's shuttle signature.
Ceccacci said Discovery was on target for a Thursday linkup with the International Space Station. The astronauts were stepping through their chores in orbit and working hard to stay on schedule, he said.
Live video of Discovery's Independence Day launch had shown some small chunks of debris falling from the external fuel tank, at least one chunk hitting the shuttle.
Using new inspection techniques implemented after the 2003 Columbia disaster, the astronauts on Wednesday were taking more images with laser, digital and video cameras that can spot damage as small as an eighth of an inch.
As they hurtled toward a Thursday morning rendezvous with the space station, the astronauts maneuvered the boom, with the cameras attached, to inspect Discovery's right wing and nose cap. They had to work carefully — the boom could easily damage the shuttle's protective skin, but the radar camera needed to be within 10 feet to detect damage.
