The zero
gravity exercise bike aboard the space shuttle Discovery is back in gear.
After days
of downtime because
of jammed pedals, Discovery's astronauts can now bike their cares away
thanks to the determination of two spaceflyers who pried open the high-tech
cycle and cleared a wayward strap.
While
spacewalkers attached
new solar wings to the International Space Station on Thursday, shuttle
pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialist John Phillips repaired Discovery's
stationary exercise bike with some help from engineers at NASA's Mission Control. The fix
came just in time for Discovery skipper Lee Archambault, an avid bike rider on
Earth who was quick to take the shuttle cycle for a spin.
"We know
the boss likes riding the bicycle so we wanted to make sure he got plenty of
exercise riding on the bike," Phillips said. "A happy boss makes the rest of us
happy."
Astronauts
must exercise daily in order to maintain muscle and bone strength while
flying in the weightlessness of space. Aboard the International Space Station,
where Discovery is currently docked, astronauts must work out at least two
hours every day to prevent their muscles and bones from weakening too much during long
space missions.
Known by
the hefty moniker of "cycle ergometer," Discovery's exercise bike is one of two
pieces of gym equipment for the shuttle's seven-astronaut crew. The astronauts
found the bike's pedals jammed fast just after their launch Sunday night and
Mission Control gave the spaceflyers leave to use a set of exercise bands on
the shuttle, as well as the treadmill, cycle and other gear on the
International Space Station.
A few days
later, the station's treadmill broke down briefly, but was quickly repaired.
"No major
problems, just a couple of hiccups," space station flight director Kwatsi
Alibaruho told reporters late Thursday.
Mission
Control lauded the Antonelli and Phillips efforts to bring Discovery's exercise
bike back to life later.
"We're
submitting both you and John for an honorary degree in ergometry," Mission
Control said.
Discovery
astronauts are currently in the middle of a planned 13-day mission to the space
station, where they have swapped out one member of the outpost's long-term crew
and installed the last set of solar wings. The shuttle is due to land on March
28, but could land a day early in order to preserve science samples returning
to Earth from the station.
SPACE.com
is providing continuous coverage of STS-119 with reporter Clara Moskowitz and senior editor Tariq Malik in New York. Click here for mission
updates and SPACE.com's live NASA TV video feed.
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