ISS Spacewalk 02-22-07

[bobw]

Mikhail Tyurin reports that he could feel cooling while in the airlock, but now that he is outside the temperature control is set to "6" and he can barely feel it. The normal setting is "3". Mission controllers won't get any more telemetry for an hour. Michael Lopez-Alegria operated controls on Tyurin's suit, rebooting the sublimator several times, "snow" is still coming out. It seems that Mikhail's sublimator is working somewhat but not very efficiently. They are in eclipse now so it doesn't matter very much but the spacewalk may be cut short if Mikhail gets hot.<br /><br />The spacewalkers are changing out the collecting element, a casette, of a device on the ISS which monitors contamination while making their way toward the stuck antenna on the Progress Module. The old casette has been removed and the container sealed. <br /><br />Edit: I must have been pretty sleepy--yesterday's date was in subject line <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Having arrived at the Progress antenna the crew noticed that the retraction mechanism is bent. There isn't a lot of room to swing the hammer so that plan is unlikely to work out. Mikhail is having difficulty getting a good look at the worksite because his visor is fogging up. The plan is for Lopez-Alegria to do the muscle work while Tyurin consults and observes.<br /><br />The antenna is spring loaded. It does move when Lopez-Alegria hits it with the hammer but pops back the way it was.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Two of the four struts holding the antenna have been cut. The antenna moves but the severed ends of one of the struts contact each other, blocking complete retraction. The plan is to try to bend one of the ends, after cutting the strut partially through in another location, so the antenna can fold. Tyurin has been doing the cutting because he is in a better position. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Hooray!! They got the antenna folded back without slashing their gloves on jagged metal. 150 mm clearance from the ISS handrail is good enough. Wire ties will be used to hold the antenna down. <br /><br />They have turned Tyurin's sublimator off and on again. He isn't hot enough to drive him back inside yet. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Lopez-Alegria is chipping away at the ice on Tyurin's suit. Controllers asked how he felt, Tyurin said he feels like he is in Houston LOL. Turning the sublimator on again in anticipation of sunrise. No snow this time. Tyurin says he feels pretty good as long as he doesn't move around, fogging is main problem. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

The cooling system started working for Tyurin allowing the spacewalkers to complete all the scheduled tasks on time. They are back in the airlock now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

That sounds a bit like wishing for bad luck. This last one was already a contingency spacewalk wasn't it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rybanis]

"Slashing their gloves on jagged metal"<br /><br /><br />Yikes! Has an astronaut/cosmonaut ever "cut" anything on their suit before? How many layers down is the actual critical layer to keep pressure?<br /><br /><br />Sounds kinda scary! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

I think this is the first time they have used a cutting tool to cut a structure up there so it would have been the first time they worked around sharp edges. I imagine that everything made on earth for use up there is smooth. It's not like they "almost" got cut but I thought it was kind of scary too when erioladastra wrote, months ago, that they would probably have to cut the antenna loose.<br /><br />I don't really know a lot about the gloves except, like you, that there are several layers. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"This last one was already a contingency spacewalk wasn't it? "<br /><br />Yes. The Progress couldn't undock unless it was freed and the next Progress couldn't dock unless this one was gone.

 

[superluminal]

I'm wondering, what could have caused that antenna to be bent. Does anyone know?<br />Thanks.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Columbia and Challenger </font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Starships of Heroes</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[bobw]

Newsartist is right about that. Here's some more detail--it started with a docking problem.<br /><br />http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061026_prog23_docking.html<br /><br />Then on the spacewalk with the golf shot on November 22 they worked on the antenna for an hour including trying to pry it loose with a crowbar. That may have bent something. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>