Melissa Mathews/James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston August 3, 2005
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

RELEASE: 05-212

NASA'S SPACEWALKING ASTRONAUT COMPLETES UNIQUE REPAIR

With surgical precision, the crews of the Space Shuttle Discovery and
the International Space Station today completed a delicate operation to
remove loose material sticking out between heat-shielding tiles on the
Orbiter's belly.

Spacewalking astronaut Steve Robinson rode the Station's robotic arm to
reach Discovery's underside, and he easily pulled out two ceramic cloth gap
fillers protruding from the tiled surface. "It looks like this big patient
is cured," Robinson said when the task was complete.

Today marks the first time an astronaut worked on the underside of a Shuttle
in space. A large ground team of engineers, flight controllers and
experienced astronauts spent several days planning the task. On Monday,
mission managers decided to add the job to today's already-planned
spacewalk. NASA wanted to ensure the protruding fillers would not add extra
heating to the tiles, as Discovery re-entered the atmosphere.

Aboard Discovery, STS-114 astronaut Andy Thomas coordinated the spacewalk,
while astronauts Jim Kelly and Wendy Lawrence operated the Shuttle and
Station robotic arms. Japanese astronaut and fellow spacewalker Soichi
Noguchi kept an eye on Robinson and helped with communications.

New imaging and inspection capabilities developed after the Shuttle Columbia
accident allowed engineers to identify the protruding gap fillers on
Discovery. They were spotted in photographs taken from the Station during an
unprecedented back flip maneuver Commander Eileen Collins guided Discovery
through as it approached the complex. The flip allowed the Station crew to
photograph the Shuttle's underside.

Commander Collins and the Discovery crew are scheduled to return to Earth
early Monday. For more information, including images of today's spacewalk,
visit:

www.nasa.gov/returntoflight


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info