NASA Not Worried By Object Near Shuttle

NASA said Friday that an object seen floating near space shuttle Discovery and a possible "bump" in the tail were not safety problems that would delay Saturday's planned touchdown.

The agency said on its Web site that after testing the shuttle's steering jets, the crew saw a rectangular object floating behind the right wing. It was said to be about a foot to 1.5 feet long.

They also reported a "bump" on the left side of the rudder on the orbiter's tail.

Later, a commentator on NASA-TV online said that experts had concluded that the rudder on the tail was in a normal configuration, and that it could be a lighting concern. It was not thought to be insulation and was "of no concern."

Mission managers had also determined that the floating object was one of three clips meant to protect the tail from heat transfer during ascent and did not pose an issue for re-entry or landing.

Discovery is scheduled to touch down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT on Saturday. A second chance comes at 12:50 p.m.

There are also two opportunities to land Sunday.