On Oct 31, 10:18 am, "Brian Gaff" wrote:
[...]
I myself wonder if the obss could be employed toget access to the array
without running the snagging risk implicit in retracting to get at the
damaged section.

Sounds like the new pole in the cargo bay:
-- this from AP via Yahoo http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/
ap_on_sc/space_shuttle;

quote
The torn section of the wing cannot be reached with the space
station's 58-foot robot arm. So NASA plans to attach the shuttle
inspection boom to the station's robot arm, and put Scott Parazynski
on the boom to free the snagged part of the wing.

It helps that Parazynski is tall - 6-foot-2 - and has long arms. NASA
doesn't want him bumping the wing or touching its sunlight-collecting
blankets. There would be no need to mend the tears
/quote

/dps