Astronauts work on Columbus lab
Astronauts work on Columbus lab
HOUSTON - With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex focused Thursday on getting the new Columbus lab up and runningNASA extended Atlantis' mission by a day on Wednesday to give the crew more time to work on the lab, Europe's main contribution to the international space station.
The activation process has been running a little behind because of computer problems, but flight directors believe they've fixed the glitch.
The crew woke up Thursday to "Consider Yourself" from the musical "Oliver!" Astronaut Stanley Love thanked his wife, children and extended family, who he joked "may be feeling there's one fewer Love on Earth this Valentine's Day."
"I'd like to assure them that it's great to be up here, and I'll be home soon," he said.
Love was one of two spacewalkers who helped install Columbus on Monday. He and astronaut Rex Walheim are scheduled to participate in the mission's third outing on Friday to attach a pair of science experiments to the outside of the European module.
The pair also plan to inspect a damaged handrail that may have caused glove problems for spacewalkers in past missions. Spacewalking astronauts have ripped their gloves three times over the past year on sharp station edges.
If they have time, Walheim and Love will also perform another inspection of a jammed joint that is needed to turn one of the space station's two sets of huge solar wings. NASA has been studying the problem for months, and wants a few more pictures.
The same joint on the other side of the station unexpectedly shut down due to a computer glitch early Thursday, but NASA quickly got it working again.
In addition to spending time Thursday preparing for that spacewalk — and enjoying some much-needed off-duty time — the crew plans to chat with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Her countryman, astronaut Hans Schlegel, completed his first spacewalk on Wednesday after an illness forced mission managers to pull him from Monday's outing.
Looking and sounding fit, Schlegel and Walheim completed their primary job halfway through the nearly seven-hour spacewalk: removing a depleted nitrogen tank from the space station and installing a full one weighing 550 pounds. The high-pressure nitrogen gas is needed to flush ammonia through the station's cooling lines.
Neither Schlegel nor anyone else at the European Space Agency or NASA will say what was wrong with him. Schlegel, 56, has said it's a private medical matter.
Atlantis will remain at the space station until Monday. That makes for a 13-day flight, with touchdown now set for Feb. 20. The shuttle's thermal shielding has been completely cleared for re-entry.
HOUSTON - With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex focused Thursday on getting the new Columbus lab up and runningNASA extended Atlantis' mission by a day on Wednesday to give the crew more time to work on the lab, Europe's main contribution to the international space station.The activation process has been running a little behind because of computer problems, but flight directors believe they've fixed the glitch.
The crew woke up Thursday to "Consider Yourself" from the musical "Oliver!" Astronaut Stanley Love thanked his wife, children and extended family, who he joked "may be feeling there's one fewer Love on Earth this Valentine's Day."
"I'd like to assure them that it's great to be up here, and I'll be home soon," he said.
Love was one of two spacewalkers who helped install Columbus on Monday. He and astronaut Rex Walheim are scheduled to participate in the mission's third outing on Friday to attach a pair of science experiments to the outside of the European module.
The pair also plan to inspect a damaged handrail that may have caused glove problems for spacewalkers in past missions. Spacewalking astronauts have ripped their gloves three times over the past year on sharp station edges.
If they have time, Walheim and Love will also perform another inspection of a jammed joint that is needed to turn one of the space station's two sets of huge solar wings. NASA has been studying the problem for months, and wants a few more pictures.
The same joint on the other side of the station unexpectedly shut down due to a computer glitch early Thursday, but NASA quickly got it working again.
In addition to spending time Thursday preparing for that spacewalk — and enjoying some much-needed off-duty time — the crew plans to chat with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Her countryman, astronaut Hans Schlegel, completed his first spacewalk on Wednesday after an illness forced mission managers to pull him from Monday's outing.
Looking and sounding fit, Schlegel and Walheim completed their primary job halfway through the nearly seven-hour spacewalk: removing a depleted nitrogen tank from the space station and installing a full one weighing 550 pounds. The high-pressure nitrogen gas is needed to flush ammonia through the station's cooling lines.
Neither Schlegel nor anyone else at the European Space Agency or NASA will say what was wrong with him. Schlegel, 56, has said it's a private medical matter.
Atlantis will remain at the space station until Monday. That makes for a 13-day flight, with touchdown now set for Feb. 20. The shuttle's thermal shielding has been completely cleared for re-entry.
posted by sarfunnisha @ 8:21 AM
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