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| Astronauts to patch Discovery |
| 2005-08-02 |
| EFL SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) - Discovery's astronauts are preparing for a high-stakes task that's never before been attempted: sending a spacewalker beneath the craft to repair filler sticking out from ship's thermal tile belly. NASA says the protruding material could cause dangerous overheating during re-entry and lead to another Columbia-type disaster. The agency will put astronaut Stephen Robinson on the space station's 58-foot robotic arm Wednesday as part of an unrehearsed maneuver. The arm will be operated by astronauts inside the station, who will bend and wrap Robinson around so he can reach the shuttle's belly. A possible Earth-side spin-off of this technology is a new ride at Six Flags. Once there, he'll tug out the ceramic-fabric filler with his gloved hands. If that doesn't work, he'll cut away the material, which is sticking out about an inch from two spots near Discovery's nose. And if that doesn't work, Duck Tape™ "I am pretty comfortable with using tools very carefully," Robinson said early Tuesday during a crew press conference from aboard the space station. "But no doubt about it, this is going to be a very delicate task. But as I say, a simple one." Robinson said the makeshift saw will only be used if other methods to remove the gap fillers - one about the thickness of an index card and the other, the size of three index cards bonded together - are unsuccessful. "There won't be any yanking going on at all," though there has been a lot of wanking at NASA headquarters Robinson said. "It will be a gentle pull with my hand. If that doesn't work, I have some forceps. I will give it a slightly more than gentle pull. If that doesn't work, I saw it off with a hacksaw." Deputy shuttle program manager Wayne Hale says if none of the proposed methods work, there will likely be some head scratching for a day. Followed by prayer However, he says the agency will find another method and try the repair again Thursday or Friday. Engineers simply don't know enough about potential problems that could be caused by the protruding gap fillers, some of which protect tiles from hitting one another during launch. But after a careful review of information sent from the ground, Thomas said he believes the repairs are justified given "every indication is that the removal of the material should be pretty straightforward and pretty easy." "The bottom line is there is large uncertainty because nobody has a very good handle on the aerodynamics at those altitudes and at those speeds," Hale said. "Given that large degree of uncertainty, life could be normal during entry or some bad things could happen." Robinson and his spacewalking partner, Soichi Noguchi, will still install a tool platform onto the space station. But once the installation is complete, the spacewalk will alter from the way it was carefully choreographed before last week's launch. "It's going to be like watching grass grow," Or judges getting confirmed by the Senate he stressed. Discovery will remain docked at the station until Saturday. The shuttle is set return to Earth early Monday. All the snark was whistling in the graveyard. I pray that everything comes out all right. I want these people back safely with their families. Then shut down NASA and RIF everyone there. |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #2 Then shut down NASA and RIF everyone there. Yeah, GOOD IDEA! But start right now with NASA TV. Even shopping networks are more useful. (That said it could have been useful if not run by idiots.) |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-08-02 12:05 |
| #1 (hiss)Oops...(spk) (crackle)What was that?(spk) (hiss)Oh, nothing...(hiss) |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-08-02 11:44 |