NASA has applied some of those recommendations to the ISS program, which is dependent on the space shuttle fleet.

"We're looking to apply the same lessons across the agency," Mike Kostelnik, NASA's deputy spaceflight chief, told reporters Thursday.

In response to the CAIB's call for better on-orbit inspection techniques for the space shuttle, NASA is performing an exterior survey of the space station using on-board assets, according to "NASA's Implementation Plan for International Space Station Continuing Flight."

The survey using external cameras on the station's structure and robot arm are continuing as crew schedules and lighting conditions allow and will be completed during the coming months.

Classified U.S. spy satellites also might be used to help image the station, something officials said hasn't been done yet but could if there was a hint of a problem.

"If we thought there was a need, certainly we would," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station operations and integration manager. "Of all the pictures we've seen no indications of any abnormal deterioration of the vehicle."

Spacewalking crew members could also help with the inspections, but officials said they are reluctant to do that while two-member crews are taking care of the outpost.

"We have no plans to ask the crew to go do that today basically because we have no concerns for any of the hardware on orbit based on what we know," Suffredini said. "If we see something of concern that we think drives that we'll certainly discuss that."

NASA also will begin routine inspections of space station wiring as part of normal maintenance operations and will evaluate whether additional inspections should be added due to the length of time some space station elements have been on orbit.

The agency also has reviewed the space station logistics and maintenance plans. While there are on-orbit spares available for many critical systems, NASA has adjusted its schedule to accommodate for the loss of the space shuttle, the report said.

Since the grounding of the shuttles, the outpost has had to rely on Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles for ferrying crews and supplies, but neither of those vehicles can match the payload capacity of the space shuttle, forcing NASA to re-evaluate space stations operations while the shuttles are grounded.

The next Progress freighter still is officially targeted for launch this month, but Kostelnik said the supply mission will probably fly in January as a result of budget issues in Russia.

Once the plans for maintenance and sustainability are determined, and NASA has a much better idea of when the shuttle will resume flying, station managers say they will focus on a new plan for utilizing the station for science and research.

SPACE.com senior producer Jim Banke contributed to this story from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

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