Astronauts spot object floating from shuttle, NASA not worried

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery spotted an unidentified object floating behind the craft as well as a bump on the shuttle rudder on Friday but neither was cause for concern, NASA said.

After carrying out routine testing the day before Discovery is due to land back on Earth on Saturday, "the crew indicated they had seen a 1-1.5-foot (30-45 centimeter) long rectangular object floating away from the shuttle from behind the rear portion of the right wing," the US space agency said.

"Shortly afterwards, the crew described what they called a 'bump' on the left side trailing edge of Discovery's rudder," it said in a statement.

NASA experts back on Earth studied images and video of both the object and the bump but concluded that they...