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Thermal protection problems did not hamper Discovery program

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RUSSIAN MISSION CONTROL (Korolyov), August 9 (RIA Novosti) - The problems in the Discovery space shuttle's thermal protection cover did not prevent its crew from completing the entire program of the test-flight. A NASA expert said the astronauts even accomplished more than what was scheduled.

For example, Steve Robinson carried out a successful spacewalk to repair the belly of the shuttle, the first mission of its type in the history of American shuttle expeditions.

Discovery delivered an Italian-made cargo module, Rafaello, with new equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). This huge container carried the Russian Kursk docking system, which will be used in future Soyuz flights, back to Earth.

Discovery also delivered a new gyroscope, used to maintain the ISS's orientation, and brought back a faulty gyroscope for scientists to analyze.

Discovery crewmen Robinson and Soichi Noguchi made three successful spacewalks. They tested a glue to repair the shuttle's thermal tiling and reconfigured the power unit of gyroscope No. 2, thereby making it functional again. During their second spacewalk, the astronauts replaced faulty gyroscope No. 1.

In addition, the crewmen cleared up the outer surface of the ISS. They removed the straps that spacewalkers from previous expeditions had used and dismantled the mini-platform they had used to move around by means of the Canadarm shuttle-attached manipulator.

United States Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins commanded the STS-114 expedition. Working for NASA since 1990, she has been a member of three expeditions as a pilot of Discovery and Atlantis, and the commander of Columbia, the shuttle that later broke up on reentry. She logged 22 days, 10 hours, and 38 minutes in these missions.

Discovery was launched on July 26 at 6.39 p.m. Moscow time (2:39 p.m. GMT). Initially, the launch had been scheduled for July 13 but was delayed two hours before launching due to a glitch in the fuel sensor of the shuttle's external tank.

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