Consideration was also given to the risks of elements of the procedure which would involve the ISS arm being used to carry Stephen K. Robinson below the shuttle, possibly the use of a sharp tool which has potential to damage the EVA suit or shuttle tiles.

The independent board that is leading the investigation said today that on Thursday a laboratory in San Antonio would begin shooting chunks of foam at shuttle tiles at high velocity.

About 10 minutes later, after being maneuvered to another position under the belly of the shuttle, Dr. Robinson reached for the second piece of filler, ceramic-covered cloth used to fill gaps between the shuttle tiles.

Sean had returned, almost as soon as he'd left, Sorka had remarked, to reassure the old captain that the Aivas building, which Ezra had so carefully shielded with shuttle tiles against Garben's eruption, remained intact and unscathed.

The material fills the gaps between some shuttle tiles that allow for expansion and contraction of the craft's body from the extremes of heat and cold.

To the data on tile damage, the scientists added temperature readings of where the shuttle tiles became hottest and were most likely to burn through.

The carbon-fiber matrix can take more than shuttle tiles, and having a machine with a skin all in one piece means we don't need to worry about spending our Mi- nerva time gluing those little suckers back into place.

The US Space Walk of Fame Museum, located nearby at 4 Main Street, illustrates America's history in space exploration by displaying hundreds of artifacts, including photos, hardware, flight suits, shuttle tiles, space patches and pins, and other memorabilia from personal collections of space workers.