Commander not worried as heat shield damage examined

By the CNN Wire Staff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Some potential damage was found on the Space Shuttle Endeavour
The analysis of these "suspect areas" is normal, NASA says
Cmdr. Mark Kelly says it is not a big concern

(CNN) -- NASA personnel on the ground Thursday were analyzing photos of what appeared to be damage to the space shuttle Endeavour's heat shield tiles, but Cmdr. Mark Kelly said it wasn't a big concern.

An early inspection of the shuttle revealed about three "suspect areas" that NASA officials are taking a closer look at, said John Ira Petty, a NASA spokesman at Johnson Space Center.

The areas were spotted in photographs that were taken of the underside of the shuttle after it launched but before it docked with the International Space Station, he said.

Such inspections are routine, Petty said, and it is also not uncommon for there to be suspect areas. No decision had been made on whether the tiles in question would require any action.

"The analysis is typical of every mission," he said.

Asked about concerns over the damage, Kelly said that he was aware of it.

"Yes, so we took a look this morning at some of the photos and the message traffic that came up," he said from aboard the space station. "But ... we've seen this kind of stuff before and it's not too big of a concern for us."

CNN's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.