CAPE CANAVERAL -- Shuttle Atlantis' mission will be extended two days so spacewalking astronauts can fix an insulating blanket that was blown out of place on the ship's exterior during launch.
A top NASA manager said Monday that the decision was easy because the loose blanket might expose the ship to excess heating during re-entry through the atmosphere during landing later this month.
"The better part of valor was just to go and secure [this blanket] and not worry about it anymore," said John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team that is overseeing Atlantis' mission.
On Monday, crew members sailed through their first full day at the international space station, embarking on a spacewalk to prepare the 35,000-pound segment that Atlantis delivered to the outpost.
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