D-Bone
Dec 18th '06, 10:58 AM
Two shuttle astronauts are poised to step outside the International Space Station (ISS) later today in an extra spacewalk aimed at furling a finicky solar array.
Discovery?s STS-116 spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang are due to start climbing the space station at 2:17 p.m. EST (1917 GMT) to reach the peak of its mast-like Port 6 (P6) truss which harbors the troublesome solar wing.
?I have a pretty good feeling that we?ve got a good chance of success,? Curbeam told the Associated Press TV Sunday in an interview broadcast on NASA TV.
With Curbeam perched at the tip of the station?s robotic arm and Fuglesang floating free, the duo plan to poke and prod a partially-furled solar array until its two ?blankets? are tucked neatly away in their storage boxes. NASA flight controllers hope the singular task will require little or none of the strong-arm shaking performed in a Saturday spacewalk.
?We are going to try it with a little more finesse,? said Tricia Mack, NASA?s lead extravehicular activity (EVA) officer for Discovery?s STS-116 mission, in a status briefing Sunday.
Read More: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061218_sts116_preeva4.html
Discovery?s STS-116 spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang are due to start climbing the space station at 2:17 p.m. EST (1917 GMT) to reach the peak of its mast-like Port 6 (P6) truss which harbors the troublesome solar wing.
?I have a pretty good feeling that we?ve got a good chance of success,? Curbeam told the Associated Press TV Sunday in an interview broadcast on NASA TV.
With Curbeam perched at the tip of the station?s robotic arm and Fuglesang floating free, the duo plan to poke and prod a partially-furled solar array until its two ?blankets? are tucked neatly away in their storage boxes. NASA flight controllers hope the singular task will require little or none of the strong-arm shaking performed in a Saturday spacewalk.
?We are going to try it with a little more finesse,? said Tricia Mack, NASA?s lead extravehicular activity (EVA) officer for Discovery?s STS-116 mission, in a status briefing Sunday.
Read More: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061218_sts116_preeva4.html