News From Space!

The second of STS-117’s spacewalks is in the books. NASA reports:

Spacewalkers Prep SARJ for Action

Image above: Spacewalker Pat Forrester rides on the end of the station’s robotic arm to assist with the retraction of a solar array. Image credit: NASA TV

Astronauts Patrick Forrester and Steve Swanson continued work to activate the International Space Station’s Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment during STS-117’s second spacewalk. The 7-hour, 16-minute excursion wrapped up at 9:44 p.m. EDT Wednesday. Meanwhile, managers approved a repair task for a damaged thermal blanket to be carried out during the next spacewalk Friday.

The spacewalking duo first assisted with the retraction of the starboard solar array on the Port 6 (P6) truss. They left launch restraints still attached on the S3/S4 Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ). Flight controllers want to take a closer look at a drive lock assembly on the SARJ. After the launch restraints are removed on an upcoming spacewalk, the rotary joint will allow the S3/S4 arrays to track the sun as the station orbits Earth.

13 of the P6’s 31.5 array bays were retracted Wednesday, and the crew will send commands Thursday to retract the remaining bays. Before moving on to SARJ, Forrester and Swanson “fluffed” the array to allow easier retraction on Thursday.

The retraction of the P6 array clears the line of sight for the S3/S4 arrays to track the sun and sets the stage for the P6’s relocation by a future shuttle crew from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss.

Mission Specialist Jim Reilly coordinated the spacewalk, and Pilot Lee Archambault operated the station’s robotic arm. Two more spacewalks are scheduled for STS-117. The next is set for Friday.

In other activities, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson continued to transfer cargo between the station and Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Wednesday will see the second of four EVAs. NASA reports:

STS-117 Crew to Conduct Second Spacewalk

Astronauts Pat Forrester and Steve Swanson will conduct STS-117’s second spacewalk today. The objectives of the excursion are to continue preparing the newly installed Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment for operation and to assist with the retraction of the starboard solar array on the Port 6 (P6) truss.

The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 2:03 p.m. EDT and to last 6.5 hours.

Retraction of the P6 array began at 6:47 a.m. Once the P6 arrays are furled, the stage is set for a future shuttle crew to relocate the P6 from atop the space station to the end of the Port 5 truss. Forrester and Swanson will assist in the retraction if needed during the early stages of the spacewalk.

The work with the S3/S4 will focus on preparing the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) for operation by removing the remaining launch restraints. The SARJ will allow the starboard arrays to track the sun.

Mission Specialist Jim Reilly will coordinate the spacewalk and Pilot Lee Archambault will operate the station’s robotic arm. Two more spacewalks are scheduled for STS-117.

Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.