The astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle station complex have accomplished the No. 1 objective of their mission.
On Thursday morning, Endeavour’s crew attached a cosmic ray detector to the International Space Station.
The $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer has a 3-foot magnet at its core. It will study the invisible universe, searching for both antimatter and dark matter for the rest of the life of the space station. Endeavour delivered the instrument on Wednesday.
Back at Mission Control, meanwhile, engineers are analysing several areas of damage on Endeavour’s belly. Thermal tiles were gouged and nicked during Monday’s lift-off. NASA wants to make certain the shuttle is safe to come home in two weeks.