NASA detects tiny hole in Atlantis

During a routine inspection of the shuttle Atlantis, a team of technicians spotted a tiny hole in Atlantis' right-hand payload bay door radiator. According to the NASA officials, a micrometeoroid hit a radiator panel that extends from payload bay doors on the shuttle, and punctured a hole during the STS-115 mission last month.

After a 12-day journey of more than 4.9 million miles in space, the Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew landed on Earth on September 21.

An unknown object, pierced the radiator on one of the payload bay doors of space shuttle Atlantis and left a hole about one-tenth of an inch (2.5 millimeters) in diameter. Though, the damage is not sizeable, but it is much of significance by historical standards. Still it did not endanger the spacecraft or the crew, nor did it affect mission operations.

"The impact occurred sometime during the STS-115 mission last month," a short statement unleashed by the NASA depicted. "The nature of the object that hit the shuttle radiator isn't known. The hit, which left a hole about one-tenth of an inch in diameter, didn't endanger the spacecraft or the crew, nor did it affect mission operations," it said.

The object did not blow the sensitive tiles or thermal panels that protected the shuttle during its landing. During missions payload bay doors stay open to lower heat produced by the shuttle. The impact left a hole at the point of entry.

Within the radiator, where the particle smashed, the damage was about 1/10 of an inch at the entry point. The exit hole was 3/100 of an inch in diameter, and, also on that side of the radiator, there was a crack measuring two-tenths of an inch.

NASA informed that the damaged section will be examined and repaired. The repairs will not disturb plans for Atlantis to launch again in February. Atlantis will also serve as the rescue shuttle for Discovery's mission, which is preliminary scheduled for a Dec. 7 takeoff.