As the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off into orbit Monday evening, several pieces of debris fell off the external fuel tank and at least one hit the orbiter.
The space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled for a 16-day construction mission to the International Space Station.
Astronauts in space and engineers on the ground will be spending the next few days examining and analyzing the damage to see if it might pose a danger to the Endeavour on re-entry.
The shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2001, killing the seven astronauts aboard, because of damage to its wing caused by falling foam during liftoff.
The Endeavour’s launch countdown proceeded without major glitches and the weather finally cooperated, with the skies clear after rain showers early in the afternoon.
The mission had been delayed five times — by hydrogen leaks, schedule conflicts, lightning strikes and a couple of rain delays.
That is one short of NASA’s record for the number of delays. Two previous missions, one in 1986 and one in 1995, were delayed six times before launching on the seventh attempt.
via inothernews
