Space Shuttle: Protruding protection blanket deemed safe

[jim3775]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts114/status.html

"NO FOURTH SPACEWALK. The Mission Management Team has ruled that the damaged white thermal blanket near the left-hand cockpit window does not pose a safety threat for Discovery's return to Earth. Mission Control just radioed the shuttle crew with the news that a fourth spacewalk will not be necessary to deal with the blanket.

NASA plans a mission status briefing at 3 p.m. EDT to provide more details."

There have been extensive tests throughout the night including attaching a similar piece of material to an airplane and flying it from Florida to California. That piece was also tested in a wind tunnel throughout the night.

Please don't listen to the alarmist news reports; they are frequently wrong and have no idea what they are talking about.