CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - an extravehicular astronaut a ran in trouble Sunday while trying to lubricate a joint in the maintenance of the International Space Station life, lose a bolt and obtain a solar energy system puck stuck in a crevasse.
Mission control said flier space veteran Mike Fincke should settle for a partial lube job, after down bolts, blankets on the articulation started popping off the coast of unexpectedly.
"Bummer", said his partner spacewalks, Andrew Feustel.
The output in space - visit the second space station end of the shuttle Endeavour - begins well, with Fincke and Feustel topping off a line of radiator leaking. They have successfully added ammonia system of cooling of the space station, after rerouting of cables of startup and opening valves. A single line leaks slightly, and astronauts need to reload it.
Ammonia is extremely dangerous, and the two have done their best to avoid contaminating their combinations space all to restore the system with about 5 pounds of the substance. Some ammonia frozen flakes floating towards Feustel and a small piece of ice, but it didn't quite.
Fincke part in preventive maintenance on the massive joint that rotates solar wings to the space station on the left side. It was withdrawing its first coverage when a bolt in reason and away from him. He took the it. But another bolt finished floating away, and a washer is squeezed between the cover and an attachment.
Mission control worried the puck could enter joint gear mechanisms and damage. Fincke was advised to use "queries, large mild setback" to get the puck away from gears and astronaut replied he could try to coax it out.
All of this was a surprise and Mission control said later the astronauts that the washers may be folded and fragile in previous repair attempts.
"Sorry that you are having a hard time with those bolts, buddy," Feustel called Fincke.
"Yeah, man, I was being really careful, too," replied Fincke, one of NASA's most well-known spacemen.
After some deliberation, instructed flight controllers Fincke to remove only four covers of articulation rather than six. "We will do the best job possible", by radio to Mission control.
Another bolt in reason and almost got away, but Fincke took it. "It gets the golden glove for another capture price," said Mission control.
To the rescue of the Fincke, remaining blankets came off the coast of much more easily.
Fincke and Feustel team for real lubrication of the joint, by spraying the black substance on the gearbox grease guns. They turned to other tasks, as the joint has turn to spread the grease.
Mission control asked the astronauts if they were to work on the joint more once the motion has stopped. They said that they felt fine and wanted to continue. The spacewalk, the value of the last 6 1/2 hours, was to come in an hour of extra time.
NASA wants to lubricate as much articulation as possible to keep it functioning in the years to come without any visit by the shuttle.
A similar joint on the opposite side of the orbiting laboratory has become blocked by chips metal in 2007 due to grinding parts; He took a series of outputs in 2008 to fix. In one of these excursions, a tool bag away an astronaut and floated away - it is a loss of $100,000.
— 10-Foot diameter circular joints - transform space station solar wings toward the Sun, as the boat paddle wheels. Each set of wings measures 240 feet from tip of pointe. Panels to collect light from the Sun and turn it into electrical energy which is used to run all the equipment on the outpost, including life support.
These are the final output be achieved by visiting shuttle crew. the objective is to leave the space station in the best possible condition for the next decade of operation. It is the next-to-last shuttle mission. The 30-year program will end in July with the flight of Atlantis.
A observed that the output of the Sunday got underway in the small hours of the morning, astronaut Gregory Chamitoff from inside, "" it is an important for the longevity of the station, for power and cooling."" He added: "if we will start."
As they ventured in more than 200 miles in, Fincke and Foale leased one of the other. The two are astronauts experienced; It's seventh tour fifth Feustel and Fincke.
"It is an honour for walking outings in a Hubble astronaut space," Fincke said Feustel, part of the 2009 Hubble repair team.
"It is an honour to be walking with the man with the most time in space," said Feustel. Fincke will become the most popular American in space by next weekend, surpassing the current record of 377 days aloft.
Feustel and Chamitoff had cut output in the space of a little short Friday because of a sensor failure of carbon dioxide into Chamitoff costume. This problem was not anticipated in the output of Sunday.
Monday, three of the six space station residents will head home in their Russian Soyuz capsule after a five-month mission. In a single photo session, the crew initially will be photo Endeavour stationed at the space station.
Then on Wednesday, Fincke and Feustel will venture back exit No. 3.
Endeavour, under the command of Mark Kelly, husband of injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will remain at the outpost in orbit for another week. Landing is scheduled for June 1.
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Online:
A: NAS http://www.nasa.gov/shut tle
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