NASA executives said flecks of insulating foam flew off the orbiter's problem-plagued fuel tank during Tuesday's Fourth of July takeoff, but that Discovery looked to be in good shape.
The shuttle's seven crew members spent their first full day in orbit scanning vulnerable parts of the ship's heat shield for any sign of damage from possible debris impacts during Tuesday's liftoff. Foam shedding from the fuel tank triggered the 2003 Columbia disaster. The problem reoccurred during the first post-Columbia mission last year.
"Overall, the tank performance was really outstanding," flight director John Shannon told reporters in a briefing late on Wednesday.
Before Discovery's flight, NASA engineers removed two long foam wind deflectors from the tank, changed insulation around heater wires and extended coverings over metal brackets that previously had been shielded by the deflectors.
