No Significant Heat Shield Problems Seen

Is it safe to come home? That's the question aboard the shuttle Discovery... now docked at the International Space Station -- and at this point... the answer appears to be "yes."

In an email sent to the seven-member Discovery crew on Sunday, NASA managers say the space plane appears not to have sustained any major launch damage... and should be just fine for re-entry.

That comes in spite of a low-hanging gap-filler on the underside of Discovery's left wing. NASA is reportedly leaning against asking the astronauts to attempt to remove it, however, during a spacewalk planned for Wednesday.

In fact... one program manager in Houston calls it the cleanest orbiter he's ever seen.

That's the kind of news that warms the hearts of NASA shuttle workers... who've been involved in a $1.3 billion safety improvement effort since the 2003 destruction of Columbia as it was re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

It is good news overall for the shuttle program, which has been on the bubble with this flight. Had there been major problems... a lot of analysts say the entire shuttle program's future would have hung in the balance.

Go, Discovery... Go!

FMI: www.nasa.gov