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NASA spacewalks keep on coming to harmonize space station

by William Atkins

Saturday, 10 November 2007

International Space Station astronaut Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko are catching up on work Friday, November 9, 2007, in order to work on Harmony after extra extravehicular activities (EVAs) were needed to fix the solar array during the STS-120 visit.

Starting at 4:54 a.m. EST, Whitson and Malenchenko are working outside their space home to complete the move of the Harmony mode to its permanent location on the space station. During their spacewalk the crewmembers are clearing a spot for Harmony by removing cables and electrical and fluid connections. As of 10:34 EST, the pair of spacewalkers has had some difficulties with unloosening some bolts.

Whitson was heard to say over NASA TV, "You think somebody glued these on?". Astronaut Dan Tani, who is coordinating the spacewalk from inside the space station, responded, "Looks like for the next [spacewalk] we'll need one of those hydraulic jaws-of-life machines.”
In order to reposition Harmony, the ISS Expedition 16 crew will perform three spacewalk over the next two weeks. Crewmembers inside the space station will also be using the robotic arm for some of the activities.

Harmony needs to be repositioned in time for the delivery of the European Space Agency laboratory Columbus, which will be delivered by the space station Atlantis in NASA mission STS-122, now scheduled to depart their Florida launch pad on December 6, 2007.

The 4-5-meter (diameter) Columbus was built in Europe and will be controlled in space from the Columbus Control Center at the German Space Operations Center, which is part of the German Space Agency (DLR). The cylindrical module will provide extensive science capabilities to the International Space Station and to scientists and researchers on Earth. Columbus is expected to be operational for at least ten years.

At 10:45 a.m. EST, the spacewalkers are still having some difficulties with the bolts. Cosmonaut Malenchenko says one of the bolts he is working on is “torquing out.” He had success in loosening the other bolts. Malenchenko is increasing the turning capacity on the device he is using. ISS controllers at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, have been asked to advise on the problem.

Malenchendo, after receiving his latest instructions, confirmed he still had no success in twisting the bolt. Houston controllers at the Johnson Space Center recommended using “alpha three.” This tactic also failed.

Further activities are still going on as of 10:52 a.m. EST. Watch NASA TV for more details of the spacewalk: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/.

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