ISS Spacewalk 01-31-07

[bobw]

Two-and-a-half hours into today's spacewalk to move ammonia coolant lines from the "Rat's Nest" in the S0 truss to the Destiny Laboratory. The work is going pretty well, only half an hour behind on the timeline.<br /><br />The fittings are hard to reach and the quick disconnect fittings are tough to operate in gloves. They have to inspect the fittings after de-mate, much like they inspect the pins on the electrical connectors when they work with them. I was surprised that they have to verify "no ammonia crystals". Space is a pretty tough place to work!<br /><br />I remember when the initial trusses and cooling system was installed there was some concern about being able to move the lines later so they took the time, on a later spacewalk, to install larger bails to make disconnecting the QDs easier. Does anybody know if the work they are doing today involves those improved bails? My memory is a little fuzzy about this.<br /><br />Great helmet camera views today, as always. If you miss today's spacewalk there is another one Sunday. Don't forget to check it out. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

The low temperature coolant loop has been tested and found to be "fully integrated" into the permanent cooling system. The next job is retracting the radiators on the P6 solar array truss structure. That should start soon. Astronauts have been advised to beware of a "moving hardware hazard" during the retraction. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[dreada5]

Think they're quite a bit behind schedule now, wonder how big an issue this is?

 

[bobw]

The radiator has been retracted and cinched. The crew had to push on the radiator to compress it a little bit more after the motor finished retracting it. The radiator moved easily allowing astronauts to install the first two cinches, but it was hard for them to find a good position that allowed them to push.<br /><br />Russian thruster control was immediately re-enabled after having been turned off to avoid motion during radiator retraction.<br /><br />It took a while for the astronauts to get the feel of how hard they could push their power tools onto the bolt heads, to keep the socket from hopping off, without unseating the nut, on the other end, from its anti-spin well. It took a little over an hour to get all the cinches torqued to the final specification, 4.7 (don't know what units) with the power tool then 1/2 turn extra with the tool locked in manual ratchet mode.<br /><br />Next up: install a shroud over the retracted radiator for thermal protection. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

The shroud has been installed. <br /><br />While removing and stowing fluid lines from the early ammonia servicer, Sunita Williams saw 4 flakes of ammonia, about a millimeter long, drift out of one of the connector caps when it was removed. She said they did not contact the space suits but mission rules classify the event as "probable contamination". They will have to spend some extra time in the airlock for a "bakeout". The suit umbilicals will be connected to the airlock during this time so there is no impact to available time for EVA tasks. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

One of the fluid lines will have to wait for Sunday to get stowed. Almost seven hours into the spacewalk, the crew is starting cleanup tasks... counting tethers and collecting tools. The target is to be back in the airlock in 40 minutes from now.<br /><br />Mike Lopez-Alegria and Sunita Williams inspected each other's suits and couldn't see any ammonia. The plan is for the bakeout to last about 30 minutes after the airlock is pressurized. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

10 minutes to go in vacuum bakeout. Once they seal the hatch and start pressurizing the airlock they have 25 minutes more pressurized bakeout. After the hatch closes the post-mission press briefing will happen as soon as the ground controllers can get off their consoles.<br /><br />Everybody, on the ground and in the airlock, seems to be in a good mood... cracking jokes. They got almost all of the planned objectives done. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[dreada5]

Yeah, Mike and the comms guy Chris are kinda funny, with Sunita in stitches in the background!

 

[bobw]

I want a popcorn ball <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>