After almost a week of worrying about a deep gouge on space shuttle Endeavour's underside, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was close to finishing tests and deciding whether to order more risky spacewalk repairs. An astronaut was forced to cut short his work and return to the International Space Station when he noticed a small hole in his spacesuit glove, NASA said. Astronaut Rick Mastracchio was not in any danger but was ordered back to the station as a precaution, officials said. Earlier on Wednesday, NASA managers informed the space shuttle crew they might have to wait until Thursday for a decision on possible repairs. The unprecedented repair job, if approved, would be performed on the next spacewalk, currently scheduled for Friday but most likely to be delayed until Saturday to give engineers more time to analyze the situation. That could keep the shuttle crew at the space station at least one extra day.
