Astronauts scanned Discovery's heat shield for potential micrometeorite impacts after undocking from the International Space Station.
HOUSTON, (Texas): Discovery's astronauts scanned the space shuttle's heat shield for potential micrometeorite impacts on Saturday after undocking from the International Space Station to head back to Earth.
The crew used Discovery's robotic arm to survey the right wing and nose cap, one day after filming the left wing, and will wait for NASA analysts to clear the shuttle for its return home, scheduled for Monday.
Earlier, Discovery pilot Mark Kelly guided the shuttle away from the ISS after an intense nine-day stay that included three successful spacewalks aimed at improving shuttle safety and resuming construction of the orbiting laboratory.
"Have a safe journey back, soft landing and we'll see you on the ground in a few months," ISS flight engineer Jeffrey Williams told Discovery's six astronauts.
The late inspection for space debris hits, a first for shuttle missions, was added to Discovery's schedule as part of NASA efforts to dramatically improve safety three years after the Columbia shuttle disaster.
"We are going to look at it one more time," Kelly said in television interviews. "But based on what we have seen so far and on what the risk is, I think all of us feel really comfortable."
Discovery remained relatively close to the ISS so it can return to the station if serious damage is found.
Lead flight director Tony Ceccacci said NASA would announce the results of the inspection on Sunday.
Discovery has been declared free of damage that could have been caused by debris during the July 4 liftoff, just the second launch since the Columbia accident.
Columbia's heat shield was damaged by foam insulation that peeled off its external fuel tank during blastoff, causing it to break apart as it returned to Earth in February 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.
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