ISS Spacewalk Set for June 30


International Space Station Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and
Flight Engineer Mike Fincke are working toward a planned spacewalk on
Wednesday, June 30, to replace a failed power component on the Station?s
truss.

Their June 24 spacewalk to try to replace that component was cut short after
after about 14 minutes, because the main oxygen tank in Fincke?s suit began
losing pressure more rapidly than expected. The problem was determined to be
a switch on the suit that did not fully close.

The Russian flight control team assured the crew they believed both men had
executed the spacewalk procedures well and had done nothing that would have
caused the decrease in pressure. The crew will use the same suits on
Wednesday. Mission managers will meet Tuesday morning to formally approve
the spacewalk that day.

The goal of the spacewalk is to restore electricity to one of three
functional Control Moment Gyros (CMGs). One of them, CMG 2, went off-line
April 21 when it lost power. The two operating gyroscopes can control the
Station's attitude, but a third operating CMG will provide greater backup
capabilities. The fourth CMG failed two years ago and will be replaced when
Space Shuttle flights resume next year.

Coverage and commentary of the spacewalk will begin on June 30 at 4:30 p.m.
EDT. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 5:40 p.m. The excursion is
expected to last up to six hours.

Because the spacewalk will be occurring simultaneously with the arrival of
the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft at Saturn, coverage of the spacewalk will be
broadcast on AMC-9, Transponder 5, C-band, 85 degrees west longitude,
vertical polarization, 3800 MHz with audio at 6.8 MHz. Cassini?s mission
will be seen on NASA Television?s regular satellite channel, AMC-9,
Transponder 9, 85 degrees west longitude, vertical polarization, 3880 MHz
with audio at 6.8 MHz.



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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info