Henry Spencer wrote:
snip "should you take it with you"
Almost certainly, if such inspection is desirable, it is better for each
such craft to carry its own little expendable inspector. Electronics
miniaturize well, battery life need be only a few hours, and if the only
maneuvering needed is local, a small cold-gas thruster set need not weigh
very much.

You might even get away with only an attitude stabilised camera with a
zoom lens that you can manoever round.
Throw it out the cargo bay, move off a hundred meters, and do a slow roll.
This would probably not be suitable for a routine inspection tool.

--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
"The device every conquerer, yes, every altruistic liberator should be required
to wear on his shield... is a little girl and her kitten, at ground zero"
- Sir Dominic Flandry in Poul Andersons 'A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows'