Jacques van Oene
August 4th 05, 04:14 AM
Wednesday, August 7, 2005 - 7:30 p.m. CDT
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-114 MCC Status Report #17
Despite days of anticipation and intense planning, space-walking astronaut
Steve Robinson made it look easy as he gently pulled two protruding gap
fillers from between thermal protection tiles on Discovery's underside
Wednesday morning.
"It looks like this big patient is cured," Robinson told delighted flight
controllers.
Fellow spacewalker Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
helped Robinson with preparations, and from a perch near the end of a Space
Station truss acted as observer and communication relay station between
Robinson and astronaut Andy Thomas aboard Discovery. Thomas was the onboard
coach and monitor for Robinson and Noguchi throughout the 6-hour 1-minute
spacewalk. Discovery Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence
operated the Station's Canadarm2, which moved Robinson to and from the
worksite. Today's spacewalk, the third of the mission, began at 3:48 a.m.
CDT and concluded at 9:49 a.m.
Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, in Wednesday's afternoon
briefing, said "The crew demonstrated consummate professionalism and
coolness beyond belief. They [the gap fillers] came out just as we thought
they would. It looked easy but was not, which is a tribute to the crew and
the team on the ground that planned it, so we're proud of that."
Gap fillers like those Robinson removed today are thin, coated Nextel
fabric. The protruding gap fillers were identified in photos taken by
Station crewmembers using telephoto lenses as Discovery did a slow back flip
about 600 feet below before docking.
During the spacewalk Noguchi and Robinson, helped by the Station's robotic
arm, installed an external stowage platform outside the station that will be
used to house spare parts. Noguchi also installed another Materials
International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). Like its predecessors, MISSE
5 exposes samples of various materials to the harsh space environment for
several months.
In other activities, Kelly worked with Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda on
an inspection of the repair demonstration tiles in Discovery's cargo bay.
Using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, they looked at tiles brought up for an
experimental repair by Robinson and Noguchi on the mission's first spacewalk
Saturday.
Station crewmembers, Commander Sergei Krikalev and NASA Science Officer John
Phillips, continued to stow equipment and supplies on the Station and
Shuttle. Discovery Commander Eileen Collins operated shuttle systems and
supervised activities.
Hale also said the only part of Discovery's heat shield not yet cleared for
entry is a bulging thermal blanket below the Shuttle commander's window.
Managers will meet Thursday morning to review tests to help determine
whether the blanket might pose a concern for entry.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued Thursday morning, or
earlier, if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-114 MCC Status Report #17
Despite days of anticipation and intense planning, space-walking astronaut
Steve Robinson made it look easy as he gently pulled two protruding gap
fillers from between thermal protection tiles on Discovery's underside
Wednesday morning.
"It looks like this big patient is cured," Robinson told delighted flight
controllers.
Fellow spacewalker Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
helped Robinson with preparations, and from a perch near the end of a Space
Station truss acted as observer and communication relay station between
Robinson and astronaut Andy Thomas aboard Discovery. Thomas was the onboard
coach and monitor for Robinson and Noguchi throughout the 6-hour 1-minute
spacewalk. Discovery Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence
operated the Station's Canadarm2, which moved Robinson to and from the
worksite. Today's spacewalk, the third of the mission, began at 3:48 a.m.
CDT and concluded at 9:49 a.m.
Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, in Wednesday's afternoon
briefing, said "The crew demonstrated consummate professionalism and
coolness beyond belief. They [the gap fillers] came out just as we thought
they would. It looked easy but was not, which is a tribute to the crew and
the team on the ground that planned it, so we're proud of that."
Gap fillers like those Robinson removed today are thin, coated Nextel
fabric. The protruding gap fillers were identified in photos taken by
Station crewmembers using telephoto lenses as Discovery did a slow back flip
about 600 feet below before docking.
During the spacewalk Noguchi and Robinson, helped by the Station's robotic
arm, installed an external stowage platform outside the station that will be
used to house spare parts. Noguchi also installed another Materials
International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). Like its predecessors, MISSE
5 exposes samples of various materials to the harsh space environment for
several months.
In other activities, Kelly worked with Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda on
an inspection of the repair demonstration tiles in Discovery's cargo bay.
Using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, they looked at tiles brought up for an
experimental repair by Robinson and Noguchi on the mission's first spacewalk
Saturday.
Station crewmembers, Commander Sergei Krikalev and NASA Science Officer John
Phillips, continued to stow equipment and supplies on the Station and
Shuttle. Discovery Commander Eileen Collins operated shuttle systems and
supervised activities.
Hale also said the only part of Discovery's heat shield not yet cleared for
entry is a bulging thermal blanket below the Shuttle commander's window.
Managers will meet Thursday morning to review tests to help determine
whether the blanket might pose a concern for entry.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued Thursday morning, or
earlier, if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info