STS-120 Mission Updates: Part 1
Second Spacewalk Ends
for Shuttle
28 October 2007 12:09 p.m. EDT
HOUSTON ? Astronauts
Scott Parazynski and Daniel Tani
are repressurizing the Quest airlock aboard the International
Space Station (ISS), effectively ending today?s spacewalk, the second of five
planned for the shuttle Discovery?s STS-120 mission.
Total spacewalking time: 6
hours, 33 minutes.
The two astronauts helped
detach the Port 6 solar array truss from atop the ISS, outfitted the new Harmony node with new handrails, robotic arm grapple
fixture and other equipment, inspected other handrails for sharp edges and
examined a large solar array-turning joint.
A wrap up story of today?s
spacewalking activities will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Astronaut Spies
Hometown as Spacewalk Nears End
28 October 2007 11:56 a.m. EDT
?I?m looking at my
hometown!? Tani said. ?Wow, what an awesome view.?
The two spacewalkers are
back in the station?s Quest airlock after helping to detach the Port 6 solar
array truss from its mast-like perch atop the ISS. They also outfitted the new Harmony node with new handrails, robotic arm grapple
fixture and other equipment, inspected other handrails for sharp edges and
examined a large solar array-turning joint. They were unable to replace an ISS
circuit breaker box for lack of time.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers to Return
to ISS Airlock
28 October 2007 11:38 a.m. EDT
Today?s spacewalk began
at about 5:32 a.m. EDT (0932 GMT). The astronauts helped detach the station?s
Port 6 solar array, configure power and data cables for the solar power
segment, installed handrails and other equipment to the exterior of the new Harmony node. Tani also
inspected a large joint on the station?s starboard truss and found metal
shavings inside, which the took samples of.
He also exampled a
handrail suspected to have sharp edges, which could pose a risk to astronauts
should it rip their protective spacesuits.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Attach
Grapple Fixture to Harmony
28 October 2007 11:01 a.m. EDT
They are now near the
5.5-hour mark of a planned 6.5-hour spacewalk.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Outfit
Space Station
28 October 2007 10:26 a.m. EDT
Tani is wrangling stiff cables as he
reroutes cabling that will transfer power between the station and its Port 6
(P6) solar array once the truss is reinstalled on Tuesday. Parazynski
continues work outfitting the Harmony node for orbital flight as part of the
ISS.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Complete
ISS Joint Inspection, Outfit Harmony
28 October 2007 9:56 a.m. EDT
Meanwhile, Tani?s spacewalking partner Scott Parazynski
is continuing work to outfit the Harmony node with new handrails and removing
protective caps from other hardware.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalker Takes
Samples of ISS Joint Shavings
28 October 2007 9:28 a.m. EDT
He used taped to gather
several flakes of the material, which he described as shavings or filings akin
to the toys in which children drag around iron filings with a large magnet. ?
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalker Take
Closer Look at ISS Joint
28 October 2007 8:58 a.m. EDT
He also reported apparent
damage on part of the structure and will swap digital cameras with spacewalking
partner Scott Parazynski to take photographs.
?It?s quite clear that
there?s metal to metal scraping, and it?s widespread,? Tani
said.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Inspect
ISS Joint, Outfit Harmony
28 October 2007 8:25 a.m. EDT
The solar arrays have
been exhibiting some odd vibrations, which engineers thought might be due to
some sort of obstruction such as bolt of thermal blanket jutting into the
rotation path. Tani said he could see no sign of any
obstruction or any other explanation as to why the vibration was occurring. He
is now snapping photos of the 10-foot (three-meter) wide joint.
Meanwhile, his
spacewalking partner Scott Parazynski continues to
add new handrails to the station?s new Harmony node.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Solar Array Truss
Reaches Parking Spot, Spacewalk Continues
28 October 2007 8:01 a.m. EDT
Lead robotics operator
Stephanie Wilson and crewmate Douglas Wheelock used the space station?s 57-foot
(17-meter) robotic arm to move the 17.5-ton Port 6 truss away from its perch
atop the outpost?s Z1 truss and into an outboard spot within reach of the
shuttle Discovery?s robotic arm.
The truss will stay there
until early Monday, when it will be grabbed by Discovery?s robotic arm.
Parazynski continues to outfit the new Harmony node with handrails. Tani
has completed his own handrail inspection on an equipment cart, where he looked
for sharp edges, and is now inspecting a large rotary joint for any sign of
friction or obstructions.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Outfit
Harmony Node, Inspect Handrails
28 October 2007 7:36 a.m. EDT
Parazynski is installing new handrails and
other equipment to the exterior of the station?s Harmony node. Tani, meanwhile, is inspecting a series of handrails on one
of two tool-carrying carts that ISS engineers believe might have some sharp
edges that could damage spacesuit gloves.
NASA cut short an August spacewalk
during the Endeavour shuttle?s STS-118 mission when an astronaut found a small
tear in the outer layers of his spacesuit glove. A spacewalker during a
December 2006 mission also cut one of his gloves, though the damage wasn?t spotted
until after the mission. Finding a possible source for the damage gloves will
allow spacewalk planners to avoid similar damage in the future.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Solar
28 October 2007 7:16 a.m. EDT
Wielding the station?s
robotic arm, astronauts Stephanie Wilson and Douglas Wheelock eased the 17.5-ton
P6 segment free after spacewalkers Scott Parazynski
and Daniel Tani removed four bolts, four grounding straps
and nine power and data connections linking the truss to the ISS. It is the
truss?s first move since its installation in 2000.
?Don?t drop it,? joked Parazynski to the robotic
arm operators as the truss slowly moved away. ?Good driving.?
The two astronauts then
headed back to the station?s new Harmony module, where
they will install handrails, a robotic arm attachment point and other
equipment.
?Hey, the station looks
different now,? Parazynski said.
?Oh, that?s right, there?s
a piece that?s gone,? Tani said.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Work to
Unbolt ISS Truss Segment
28 October 2007 6:54 a.m. EDT
Earlier, they
disconnected nine power and data cables, as well as four grounding straps. A
capture claw will hold the massive 17.5-ton girder in place until it is time to
pluck it free using the station?s robotic arms.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers
Disconnect Lines, Bolts on Solar
28 October 2007 6:28 a.m. EDT
The are now manually removing four bolts
anchoring the 17.5-ton solar power truss segment to the top of the station?s Z1
truss. Once removed, the truss will be held in place by a capture claw that
will be released to allow the station?s robotic arm to lift the structure
clear.
Inside the ISS, astronauts Douglas
Wheelock and Stephanie Wilson are wielding the station?s robotic arm.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Spacewalkers Exit
Space Station Airlock
28 October 2007 5:55 a.m. EDT
?Is it good to be back Dan?? asked Parazynski.
?It?s good to be back in
space,? replied Tani, who is making his second
spaceflight as a new member of the station?s Expedition 16 crew.
The astronauts are now
heading to the station?s Z1 truss atop the Unity node, which serves as the base
of the Port 6 solar power segment. There, they will detach a series of power
and data connections along with four large bolts so the 17.5-ton solar power
segment can be pried loose from its mount by the station?s robotic arm.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Second Spacewalk
Begins for Shuttle
28 October 2007 5:28 a.m. EDT
The spacewalk began at
about 5:34 a.m. EDT (0934 GMT).
?It?s a beautiful day, look
at that,? Tani said.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Space Crane Operators
Grapple ISS Solar Power Truss
28 October 2007 5:28 a.m. EDT
Discovery shuttle
astronauts Stephanie Wilson and Douglas Wheelock used the station?s 57-foot (17-meter)
robotic arm to latch onto the Port 6 truss. They will pry the 17.5-ton station segment
free of its mount atop the station?s central Z1 truss once Parazynski
and Tani disconnect a series of bolts and umbilical lines.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Astronauts Set to
Begin Second Spacewalk
28 October 2007 4:56 a.m. EDT
The astronauts are clad in
their white NASA spacesuits and inside the crew lock portion of the station?s
Quest airlock, with the compartment?s depressurization under way and hatch
opening to follow. They were due to begin today?s spacewalk at 5:58 a.m. EDT (0958
GMT), but are well ahead of schedule.
The primary tasks for
today?s spacewalk: detaching the massive, 17.5-ton Port 6 solar power truss
from its mast-like perch atop the ISS in the first stage in a three-day, two
spacewalk process of moving the solar power segment to the port edge of the
station?s main truss.
Mission Control awoke the
crew at about 12:08 a.m. EDT (0408 GMT) with the song ?What a Wonderful World?
by Louis Armstrong, a tune chosen specifically for veteran spaceflyer
Scott Parazynski.
?Good morning Discovery! A
special good morning to you today Scott,? NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid told the
crew from Mission Control. ?It's a great day for an EVA.?
?That's how you do it
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Astronauts Christen
Harmony Node Aboard ISS
27 October 2007 8:36 a.m. EDT
Wearing protective masks
and goggles, ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson and Italian shuttle
astronaut Paolo Nespoli opened the hatch to the
Italian-built node at 8:24 a.m. EDT (1224 GMT).
The node is parked at a
temporary docking port on the station?s Unity module. It will be moved later
once the shuttle Discovery departs the ISS on Nov. 4.
NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s STS-120 mission
to the International Space Station on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the
upper left of this page.
- Tariq Malik
Astronauts Prepare to
Open New ISS Room
27 October 2007 6:28 a.m. EDT
The astronauts are running power and data conne









