A robotic challenge that's really out there

[Richard Wallace]

Check out the story of unidentified space junk that might delay the orbiter's scheduled return. Particularly the mission commander's comment that there is a "[b]ig interest in whether we're going to be doing any robotics tomorrow," referring to the possibility of using the arm to search for the potentially threatening debris.

Did someone drop a fastener?

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Richard

Did someone drop a fastener?

Actually they did. link

[KenWittlief]

I saw that report this afternoon. My take on it was that something came loose from the cargo bay in the shuttle, and there was only one camera that had the object in its field of view

without stereoscopic cameras they could not tell the size or shape of the object, and last I read they have no idea what it was.

So I dont think the problem is hitting it, I think the problem is a piece of something fell off the shuttle and they dont know what it was!

I dont think the shuttle has hub caps or chrome trim, so whatever it was, it was probably something.... necessary? Important?

[Laura 1547]

I heard about this tonight on the evening news! Apparently the landing is now postponed until 6:22 Thursday morning? The Canadarm has to go like see if it can repair anything or something?

That's just what I remember from the report