"But based on the status of this incident, these are minor to us," he said. "This is truly a miracle, that 309 people were able to get off of this aircraft, and no one received major injuries." The protruding gap fillers were discovered during an extensive inspection of Discovery's exterior, carried out by cameras and lasers on a new boom on the space shuttle. The crew of the space station also photographed the underbelly of the shuttle before it docked last Thursday, part of a new inspection regime put in place after the Columbia disaster.
"We look forward to the successful completion of this mission," he said. (Full story)
Bruce Farr, the chief of Toronto's Emergency Medical Service, said some passengers suffered lower limb fractures and smoke inhalation, while others were being assessed for possible spinal injuries. One of the injured was an infant, he added.Discovery commander Eileen Collins agreed. "This situation, I believe, will certainly be safer for entry. I'm actually not that worried about it," she said when asked how she felt about returning to Earth in a repaired shuttle.