News From Space!

Skydiver plans head-first freefall from the edge of space in dizzying bid to break Mach 1 - but he must wear a special suit to ensure his body fluids don’t boil:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=474879&in_page_id=1811

Monday will see the second of four EVAs. The mission was extended to 14 days and 4 spacewalks, as planned, thanks to the success of the new SSPTS, which allows the docked Orbiter to draw power from the Space Station’s solar arrays. NASA reports:

Spacewalkers to Replace Station Gyro Today

Mission Specialists Dave Williams and Rick Mastracchio will go spacewalking for the second time today. Their primary task is to replace a faulty attitude control gyro on the International Space Station. The spacewalk is slated to begin at 11:31 a.m. EDT and last 6.5 hours.

The faulty gyro is one of four devices, called control moment gyros (CMGs), located in the Z1 truss that are used to control the station’s orientation. The new CMG rode to the station on External Stowage Platform-3 in Space Shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay.

Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell will resume her role as the mission’s spacewalk coordinator and Pilot Charles Hobaugh will operate the station’s robot arm. Two more spacewalks are scheduled for STS-118’s stay at the station.

Meanwhile on Earth, experts continue to analyze imagery collected Sunday during the STS-118 crew’s focused inspection of five areas of concern on the Endeavour’s heat shield.

Discussion here. Status Report #10 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.