The purpose of the operation this time is to repair the fault in the heat shield and to assist in the further folding of the old solar collectors * the computer problem has not yet been resolved
p>In the photo: Olivas at the beginning of his work on repairing the shuttle's heat protection tile system that cracked in the area of the shuttle's maneuvering engine pod
The International Space Station project manager on behalf of NASA, Mike Superdini, said that the Russian and American flight controllers and engineers from both space agencies are focusing their efforts on returning the computers to normal operation and on the possibilities of maintaining the altitude control until the problem is resolved. Superdini gave his brief report in the early afternoon EST. "I think the station is in good shape," said Superdini. "We still have many options along the way to try to fix the systems. We have groups of talented people who will test the altitude control system.”
The navigation computers serve as a backup for the station's height and direction control system. Currently, the gyroscopes used for this first-priority role handle altitude control well, and the shuttle Atlantis' propulsion systems serve as a backup system.
The spacewalkers have set off, they will install the outlet for the hydrogen pipe in the old wing of the shuttle
In the photo: an artist's computer simulation shows what is expected of us later tonight - an astronaut trying to repair the shuttle's heat protection tile system that cracked in the area of the shuttle's maneuvering engine pod
Atlantis astronauts Jim Riley and Danny Olivas began the third spacewalk of the STS-117 mission at 13:24 PM EST (20:24 PM Israel Time). Before them are three main tasks tonight, among them repair work on the space shuttle Atlantis.
This time the two will perform separate jobs at the beginning of the spacewalk. Olivas will focus on repairing the protective cover of the shuttle, parts of which have moved out of place. He will work from the end of Atlantis' robotic arm and he will attempt to put the tiles back into place using a medical stapler to secure them to the shuttle's left maneuvering engine pod. Riley meanwhile will begin installing an outlet system for the hydrogen pipeline at the Destiny laboratory on the space station. The pipe is designed for the new oxygen production system.
After completing these operations, the two will move to the P6 component of the station and assist in folding the solar collector. Over the course of two days, the crew managed to fold half of the stages of the solar collector. Future shuttle crews will re-position P6 at the end of P5 instead of at the top of the station. If there is time, Riley and Olives will try other missions outside the station. The spacewalk is planned to last six and a half hours.
p>In the picture: An artist's simulation using a computer shows what is expected of us later tonight - an astronaut trying to repair the shuttle's heat protection tile system that cracked in the area of the shuttle's maneuvering engine pod
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To Avi Bilovsky the astronaut update tightens the backpack