Astronauts Install Robotic Arm on Station
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The two space station astronauts left their orbiting home in the hands of ground controllers Wednesday and floated outside to install an experimental robotic arm and inspect vents that might be causing air-supply equipment breakdowns.
Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov found goo on the vents and hooked up the arm, solving a minor problem with a loose electrical connection on the elaborate robot system shortly before the spacewalk drew to a close. . . .
Sharipov found a large patch of dark, oily residue on at least one vent and a white substance ? he described it as a honeycomb ? on the oxygen generator's outlet. "They're going to be very good pictures," he said as he photographed the goo.
During the spacewalk, flight controllers noticed a repeat of the same mysterious forces that tilted the station on previous astronaut outings. Wednesday's odd, off-center nudges forced the Russian thrusters to temporarily take over steering control from the U.S. gyroscopes several times.
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Mysterious forces with goo on the outside - JEEPERS!! - this is like the beginning of every alien sci fi film!!
Have We Learned Nothing!
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The two space station astronauts left their orbiting home in the hands of ground controllers Wednesday and floated outside to install an experimental robotic arm and inspect vents that might be causing air-supply equipment breakdowns.
Leroy Chiao and Salizhan Sharipov found goo on the vents and hooked up the arm, solving a minor problem with a loose electrical connection on the elaborate robot system shortly before the spacewalk drew to a close. . . .
Sharipov found a large patch of dark, oily residue on at least one vent and a white substance ? he described it as a honeycomb ? on the oxygen generator's outlet. "They're going to be very good pictures," he said as he photographed the goo.
During the spacewalk, flight controllers noticed a repeat of the same mysterious forces that tilted the station on previous astronaut outings. Wednesday's odd, off-center nudges forced the Russian thrusters to temporarily take over steering control from the U.S. gyroscopes several times.
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Mysterious forces with goo on the outside - JEEPERS!! - this is like the beginning of every alien sci fi film!!
Have We Learned Nothing!
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