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International Space Station- October 31, 2007 – Space shuttle Discovery astronauts will have two an extra days to prepare for their mission’s fourth spacewalk, as the International Space Station Program has changed its priority from inspection of a rotary joint to repair of a P6 4B solar array.
The spacewalk, planned for Thursday, now has been moved to Saturday to allow the combined crew time to prepare for the mission change.
The array was left partially unfurled on Tuesday, when damage was noted during its deployment. It is currently providing power, but to ensure that the array receives no further damage, it needs to be fully extended.
The leading theory is that one of the three guide wires on the array snagged on one of the grommets that it feeds through, starting the tear. Spacewalkers Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will attempt to remove the snag and transfer the loads carried by the broken hinge by installing straps that the crew will build.
The crew also will study the spacewalk procedures delivered and reconfigure a right-hand spare spacesuit glove to better fit Wheelock.
During Saturday’s spacewalk, Parazynski will be working from the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) grappled by Canadarm2. Wheelock will also be outside the craft watching to make sure the remotely-operated arm remains clear of any critical station components.
Robotic arm operations to prepare include setting up the station arm for mission control to move the Mobile Transporter from worksite 8, near the P6 segment, to worksite 3, near the center of the station. The OBSS is in better reach of Canadarm2 from worksite 3.
Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said finding a way to do so is the priority for the remainder of the mission and plans for possible solutions are already in the works.
“We give this team a little time to start thinking about creative solutions, and it doesn’t take them long to blow you away with what they come up with,” he said.
Ignoring the wing damage is not an option. If the tear gets larger and the panel lost all power-collecting capability and became unstable, the wing would have to be junked, Suffredini said.
The inspection of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint planned for Thursday will be put off until a later date. The mission’s fifth spacewalk – which had been planned for Saturday – will be performed by the station crew after the shuttle leaves. If the spacewalkers are able to repair the array on Saturday, the STS-120 crew of Discovery will then begin preparations for its return to Earth next Wednesday. If they are unable to fix the problem, another spacewalk may be added pending further discussion by station and shuttle management.
The crew spent part of Wednesday preparing for the spacewalk they would have taken place on Thursday, which will put them ahead of schedule for preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk. They also participated in a news conference with reporters from the United States, Italy and Russia.
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Different views of the damaged sustained by a solar array onboard the International Space Station. The STS-120 construction mission is being modified to allow astronauts to repair the damage. NASA.
NASA and contractor engineers discuss possible repair options for the tear in the solar array on the International Space Station. The STS-120 mission is being modified to accommodate the repairs.
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