The Discovery mission was extended by a day, to allow for the spacewalk. In the third spacewalk, Korev and Williams managed to free a few more ribs of the recalcitrant Colt
The STS-116 mission team of the shuttle Discovery is preparing today for another spacewalk on top of the three planned, which will take place today (Monday) in order to repair the partially folded solar collector. NASA decided last night on the additional spacewalk, after the end of the third spacewalk.
The decision was made after progress was made in trying to align the solar collector during Saturday's spacewalk. Astronauts Robert Korbim and Sunita Williams assisted in the process by pressing down on the solar collector wing which helped the flight controllers deploy more and more ribs. Efforts were stopped due to time pressure. 11 of these 21 ribs remain folded. Earlier the number was 17.
Korbim and Christer Vogelsang will resume the pressing and shaking experiments during the spacewalk that should begin at 20:47 Israel time last Monday. The spacewalk will be Korvem's fourth and Fuglsang's third.
Today's preparations included preparing a schedule for the mission which will be re-evaluated later tonight. The team will also prepare tools and spacesuits for the mission. As usual before every spacewalk, the two will sleep the night in the airlock, in preparation for the expected pressure drop in their spacesuits. NASA also extended the shuttle's stay at the station until Tuesday and of course also postponed the landing of the shuttle Discovery.
The shuttle is scheduled to leave the space station on Tuesday at 17:09 EST (00:09 on Wednesday Israel time). The Kennedy Space Center landing is scheduled for Friday at 15:55 EST 22:55 Israel time).
