NASA decided late Sunday that shuttle Endeavour's mission is extended from 11 to 14 days due to the successful operation of a new power transfer system.
Endeavour is now scheduled to undock from the International Space Station on Aug. 20 and land on Aug. 22. In addition to the extra time at the orbital outpost, NASA managers added a fourth spacewalk that is scheduled to take place on Aug. 17.
The Station-to-Shuttle power transfer system is activated shortly after Endeavour docked with the station. During the testing period, it performed as expected. NASA said the shuttle can receive extra power to stay longer at the orbital outpost.
Early Sunday, Endeavour crew completed a focused inspection of the shuttle's heat shield. Using the shuttle robotic arm and 50- foot-long boom loaded with sensors, the crew collected imagery of five areas on Endeavour's underside that may have been damaged during the climb to orbit on Aug. 8.
The data collected during the inspection will be analyzed by experts and engineers at NASA mission control center. On Monday, NASA mission managers will decide whether to send two astronauts out to fix the difficult-to-reach area.
The second spacewalk of Endeavour's mission is scheduled to begin 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT) on Monday.
Source: Xinhua
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