" coming out , explorers , after a remarkable journey to bring the international space station to full power , " said an astronaut , jerry zamka , radioing from the mission control center in huntsville , texas . nasa tested an experimental tile under the columbia ' s left wing during its ascent for arrival . the board was almost twelve centimetres thick , and had a bump in it , thought to affect the normally smooth airflow over the shuttle ' s plane , thus exposing it to high amounts of sunlight . researchers mounted the tile in order to measure the much heat that was collected on external tile . a nasa airplane monitored the event with an ir camera . the findings will be used to help determine proper designs for other shuttles .
Houston is George Zamka's hometown.