Spacewalk 11-22-06

[bobw]

They are running about an hour late because of a kinked cooling hose in Mikhail Tyurin's suit.<br /><br />I guess I'll pose the most obvious question. Is a three gram golf ball really a ping-pong ball or is it some fancy thousand dollar thing they made for this commercial?<br /><br />I wish the Russians would put some helmet TV cameras on their suits. I don't know if the coverage is going to be good enough to keep me interested for six hours. I hope so. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

They are having some trouble getting the hatch open. It opens a few centimeters and gets stuck. They are saying now that it is normal. The translator is great! She seems to be including inflections in their voices. Really first rate. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

They just said they were making sure they knew how to address the ball.<br /><br />Everyone knows the answer is.....<br /><br />wait for it....<br /><br /><br />"Hello, Ball!" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobw]

Wiggling the butt is important, too <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Is it just me, but considering the problems they're having, and it's now been 38 minutes of spacewalk time, doesn't this stunt seem unnecssarily dangerous and a waste of valuable EVA time and resources?<br /><br />I know they're making money, but.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobw]

"It went pretty far." LOL This is more like <i>Caddyshack</i> than PGA. The way I figgure is let them have some fun once in a while. <br /><br />When they were having trouble with the cooling tube, before the suits went on internal power, there was talk about not replacing a materials exposure science package. I was wondering if they have finish the spacewalk while the station is in orbits that pass over Russian ground stations? I can't think of any other reason to cut the spacewalk an hour short due to starting an hour late. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

After spending an hour trying to fold up the Progress antenna, including running the motor for a while, the spacewalkers have moved on to relocating the ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle's WAL-2 antenna.<br /><br />The jammed Progress antenna has really got me stumped. There was a problem when it docked but I read a news article which said "photographs of the Progress supply ship relayed to Earth by the Expedition 14 crew apparently showed that the antenna was in fact retracted." What did they do; take a picture of the wrong one? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"The jammed Progress antenna has really got me stumped. There was a problem when it docked but I read a news article which said "photographs of the Progress supply ship relayed to Earth by the Expedition 14 crew apparently showed that the antenna was in fact retracted." What did they do; take a picture of the wrong one? "<br /><br />Bad reporting. The pictures didn't really show anything. The Rusians insisted it was retracted. NASA was concerned with the way they drove it in and that it might have done damage or got hung up.

 

[bobw]

Water leaking in one of the helmets. Mikhail Tyurin said he was having a hard time seeing while working on the ESA antenna. He said a new drop was forming as soon as one floated away. The leak is near a "notch near the visor". They may have to come in early. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Ground controllers have given Mike and Mike the OK to mount the solar flare experiment.<br /><br />Between the half-open hatch and worries about Mikhail Tyurin drowning I am starting to feel, uneasily, like your stereotypical stock car fan. I sure hope I never see a crash during a spacewalk -- it would ruin them for me forever. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

I remember you wrote, back then, that it was a serious problem.<br /><br />Is the jam with the handrail a serious problem for undocking? I was thinking maybe on the next spacewalk they could drive the hard docking latches open to soft-dock and try the antenna again. If it is really jammed up they probably will strip the bolts or something if they try to remove the antenna to fold it up. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

I think there are two of them switching off. I could be wrong.<br /><br />With the NASA spacewalks I like it if the commentators keep quiet. The Russian ones don't make any sense to me without a translator. These gals are as good as it can be, no complaints at all. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Aha! They have to cut the spacewalk short because during the delay they were using up LiOH. I thought the oxygen pre-breathe was with the helmets off. I guess I tuned in too late to catch the whole thing. Lopez-Alegria must have been in his suit while Tyurin was in and out of his trying to untangle the coolant tube. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

All in all it doesn't sound like they had a lot of fun today. Mikhail Tyurin's hands don't work anymore. At least he will get to have a few laughs about golf, over a beer with his buds, when he gets home. I hope the hatch doesn't get stuck half open again. Mikhail said he needed to rest before trying to close it so Mike finished mating the connectors to the solar flare instrument. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

The hatch is closed so they are home free. I was on the edge of my seat all night. It seems like I just can't get enough of watching the solar panels spin <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kosmonavtkaa]

Spacewalk was 5h 38m. 00:17 UTC: Pirs hatch open; 05:55: Pirs hatch close. Main annoyance when watching the NASA TV transmission was the man who kept talking over the lady translator's voice! I kept wanting him to shut up!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"I think there are two of them switching off. I could be wrong. <br /><br />With the NASA spacewalks I like it if the commentators keep quiet. The Russian ones don't make any sense to me without a translator. These gals are as good as it can be, no complaints at all. "<br /><br />Not sure what you are referring too. If you are talking about the coverage on NASA TV, that is Rob Navias doing the commentating and NASA translators that are only translating the space to ground comm.

 

[erioladastra]

"Is the jam with the handrail a serious problem for undocking? "<br /><br />Yes. No other Russian EVAs are schedule before undock and the schedule would really be hurt if we had to add a spacewalk.

 

[erioladastra]

You guys may not want the constant commentating (and I undestand), a lot of people do. Especially those that just tune in for a short bit.

 

[erioladastra]

"Mikhail Tyurin's hands don't work anymore. "<br /><br />Hand fatigue is very common after an EVA.

 

[erioladastra]

"Is the jam with the handrail a serious problem for undocking?"<br /><br />Looking at the pictures it appears the antenna is caught on the handrail. Will very likely mean another space walk before undocking to cut it off.

 

[bobw]

Re: my comments about the NASA coverage. The similarity of the astronauts' names and lack of voice differentiation made it so Rob Navias's comments straightened me out a couple of times about who was doing what. I didn't intend any sarcasm. For me the coverage was "as good as it could be", honestly.<br /><br />Usually, when I go hacking at some metal I cut myself even though I know I am going to cut myself and try not to. The guy who goes out to cut the antenna in a space suit ought to get a medal when he gets back. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"I didn't intend any sarcasm. For me the coverage was "as good as it could be", honestly. "<br /><br />I at least didn't detect any sarcasm or anything else in your comment.<br /><br />"Usually, when I go hacking at some metal I cut myself even though I know I am going to cut myself and try not to. The guy who goes out to cut the antenna in a space suit ought to get a medal when he gets back. "<br /><br />Well they have a special tool for cutting that I think is EVA safe but yes, he will need to be careful <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />