Strange Object Baffles Astronauts

The Discovery’s crew was perplexed today when it spotted a mysterious object floating past the right wing, the Houston Chronicle reports. The astronauts sent videos and photos of the light-colored, rectangular object to NASA. They also noticed an unusual protrusion on the tail rudder. “We’re in data assessment mode at this point,” a mission control spokesman said.

The rudder protrusion is near the shuttle’s heat shielding; engineers think it may be a piece of insulation sticking out. The astronauts are preparing to use the shuttle’s camera-wielding robot arm to investigate. The object, meanwhile, was about 18 inches long and may have come from the shuttle’s cargo bay. If the shuttle’s return is delayed tomorrow, the crew has enough supplies to remain in orbit until Tuesday. (More Discovery space shuttle stories.)