News From Space!

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America.  

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UG19Q80&show_article=1

Astronauts Whitson and Tani are outside the ISS this morning, working on a failed solar array part. NASA reports:

U.S. Spacewalkers Replace Solar Array Motor

Image Above: Earth’s limb and airglow form part of the background for this scene of solar array panels on the International Space Station that appear to be intersecting. Image credit: NASA

U.S. spacewalkers Peggy Whitson, station commander, and Dan Tani, flight engineer, began a spacewalk from the Quest airlock of the International Space Station at 4:56 a.m. EST. Spacewalk tasks include moving to the starboard of the truss structure, removing and replacing a Bearing Motor Roll Ring Module (BMRRM) and inspecting a Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ). Today’s spacewalk is planned to last 6.5 hours.

+ Read more about the spacewalk
+ Watch NASA TV

Just after 7 a.m. the spacewalkers removed and replaced the BMRRM. The BMRRM, called the “broom”, drives the solar arrays as they tilt towards the sun maximizing power generation. The BMRRM experienced electrical failures in early December.

The spacewalkers are examining the SARJ today after video inspections took place over the weekend providing data for engineers on the ground. The SARJ experienced electrical spikes last year and previous inspections revealed contamination and debris.

+ View crew timelines
+ Read more about Expedition 16

Expedition 16 pics are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.