After more than a month of problems and delays and five previously aborted attempts the shuttle Endeavor finally launched Wednesday evening. The launches had been delayed by an array of problems including hydrogen leaks and bad weather that hindered their launch abilities.
During the launch the shuttle was hit by pieces of debris that broke off from the fuel tank as Endeavor took off. Initial observations made by the ground grew when Endeavor made its launch made a quick assessment of the perceived damage which they do not believe is as severe as the damage that occurred during the launch of the last shuttle. However, they will be spending the next day or so going over all of the photographs taking of the launch to get a better idea of the damage that may have been caused to Endeavor and shuttle integrity.
The damage, which occurred just a couple of minutes into the lift off, appears to be near the right wing where it connects to the fuselage. This area appears to have been struck by at least a couple of the 8 to 9 pieces of the foam that insulates the fuel tank on the exterior of the shuttle. A similar incident is what led to the 2003 disaster that took the lives of the crew on Columbia. The same type of foam that struck Endeavor pierced a hold in the wing of the shuttle Columbia leading to the accident. Policy changes made since the Columbia disaster means that the crew of Endeavor will not be conducting an inspection of the ship and its thermal shielding to further determine the extent of the damage and to ascertain whether or not it will present a problem upon re-entry of it the hull integrity will hold for the return flight.
They will carry out the inspection using a 100 foot boom that includes a laser tip will be used for the inspection carried out by the astronauts. Further details are expected when the shuttle reaches the International Space Station on Friday. Once there, the crew of the space station will be able to take multiple photographs of the shuttle with a powerful zoom as the shuttle is docking. This will give them a better idea of the extent of the damage. The crew of Endeavor is equipped with a repair kit should minor repairs be required before their return. Once they get a better look at the shuttle, if the damage is deemed to be too extensive for repairs at the space station for the crew to return safely, they could make the space station home for an extended stay until a rescue shuttle could be sent to retrieve them.
Endeavor will be docking at the International Space Station on Friday and plan to remain docked for around two weeks or so, this would give them plenty of time to repair any minor damage that may have occurred should the need arise. Mission control has assured everyone that the first priority is to get the crew of the Endeavor home safely.