The space shuttle Discovery has docked with the International Space Station, a day after the U.S. space agency suspended future shuttle flights.
Before Thursday's docking, the shuttle performed a backflip maneuver, allowing the space station crew to photograph its underside, focusing on the area that lost tile pieces during Tuesday's launch.
NASA grounded the shuttle fleet after a piece of foam insulation broke off the Discovery's external fuel tank during lift-off.
The same problem occurred two-and-a-half years ago -- when foam debris struck the shuttle Columbia, leading to its disintegration while re-entering the atmosphere. All seven Columbia astronauts were killed.
NASA officials say the foam debris missed the Discovery, but they remain concerned over a piece of heat-resistant tile that broke off the bottom of Discovery's nose, near the landing gear.
Before Thursday's docking, the shuttle performed a backflip maneuver, allowing the space station crew to photograph its underside, focusing on the area that lost tile pieces during Tuesday's launch.
NASA grounded the shuttle fleet after a piece of foam insulation broke off the Discovery's external fuel tank during lift-off.
The same problem occurred two-and-a-half years ago -- when foam debris struck the shuttle Columbia, leading to its disintegration while re-entering the atmosphere. All seven Columbia astronauts were killed.
NASA officials say the foam debris missed the Discovery, but they remain concerned over a piece of heat-resistant tile that broke off the bottom of Discovery's nose, near the landing gear.