Space shuttle Atlantis' crew uncradled the 50-foot-long Orbiter Boom Sensor System, or OBSS, from the payload bay at 8:37 a.m. EST. The OBSS is being used to conduct the standard "late inspection," a high fidelity, three-dimensional scan of Atlantis' thermal protection system. Managers and engineers in Mission Control will compare the results with data from a scan conducted earlier in the flight to validate the heat shield's integrity. The areas of the shuttle that experience the highest heating during entry - the wing leading edges and nose cap - will be inspected. The process will take several hours, concluding at about 1:30 p.m.
NASA Television will air a Mission Status Briefing at 11:30 a.m. and a post-Mission Management Team meeting briefing at 3:30 p.m.
NASA Television will air a Mission Status Briefing at 11:30 a.m. and a post-Mission Management Team meeting briefing at 3:30 p.m.
