NASA: Astronauts use robotic arm to check for damage

The shuttle blasted off early Monday morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bound for a Wednesday rendezvous with the International Space Station, the shuttle is loaded down with a new piece of the station , as well as a new control room for the orbiter's robotics equipment.

The astronauts got some sleep after the early-morning liftoff and woke at 6:15 p.m. EST to get to work. The main job on their itinerary between Monday night and Tuesday morning is to use the shuttle's robotic arm, along with its 50-foot-long orbiter boom sensor system, to take pictures of Endeavour's wings and nosecap.

They're inspecting the thermal protection system tiles and reinforced carbon panels for any damage that might have occurred during takeoff. The inspection, which is standard procedure following any shuttle launch, uses cameras and lasers at the end of the boom to provide 3-D views of the shuttle, NASA noted.

The images then are sent to NASA's ground facilities where engineers will inspect them for any problems with the shuttle's thermal protection system, which will be needed to protect the craft during the blazing temperatures it will encounter during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

While a few astronauts work on the inspection, NASA noted that others will be inspecting the spacesuits that they'll wear during the mission's three scheduled spacewalks. Astronauts also will check out the rendezvous tools the crew will use during the shuttle's approach to the station.