From the Flame Trench here:
During ascent, a 4-inch by 6-inch flap of heat-resistant fabric tore on the left orbital maneuvering system pod, a bell-shaped structure near the rudder. Similar insulation tears have been seen in other areas of STS-121 and STS-116, and no damage was reported on re-entry, chairman of the mission management team John Shannon said Saturday.
The torn corner of the insulation blanket would heat to 700 degrees during re-entry, not likely presenting a danger if left unrepaired.
However, astronauts have practiced techniques to tuck, trim or stick it in place with thermal goo, if engineers decide a repair is necessary, Shannon.
From My Way News here:
Thermal blankets came unstitched during flights of Discovery in 2005 and 2006 without any problems, and thermal tiles were lost in the same area where the peeled-up blanket is on Atlantis on two of the earliest shuttle flights.
The area does not get hotter than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit during the shuttle's return to Earth, compared with other parts of the vehicle where temperatures can get as hot as 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is not a place where NASA is usually concerned about potentially fatal problems. But if engineers decided it needed to be fixed, Atlantis' astronauts could trim if off, tuck it back into protective tiles or cover it with a plate held in place by adhesive goo during three planned spacewalks or extra one added to the schedule.
After the Columbia disaster, a shuttle repair kit was included in all shuttle missions.
"We have wide spectrum of repair technologies," Shannon said.
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