EVA tests shuttle repair techniques
Posted: Thu, Jul 13, 2006, 8:19 AM ET (1219 GMT)
Two astronauts spent seven hours outside the space shuttle and International Space Station Wednesday, testing techniques to repair damage to a shuttle's thermal protection system. Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum spent seven hours and 11 minutes outside the shuttle-station complex starting at 7:20 am EDT (1120 GMT) on their third and final spacewalk of the STS-121 mission. The primary purpose of the EVA was to test a repair material known as NOAX that could be used to fill cracks in the shuttle's reinforced carbon-carbon panels. The astronauts also tested an infrared camera designed to identify damage on the interior of those panels. With all of the mission spacewalks now complete, the STS-121 crew will have only light duty on Thursday before they wrap up their stay at the space station; the shuttle is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Saturday.
Two astronauts spent seven hours outside the space shuttle and International Space Station Wednesday, testing techniques to repair damage to a shuttle's thermal protection system. Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum spent seven hours and 11 minutes outside the shuttle-station complex starting at 7:20 am EDT (1120 GMT) on their third and final spacewalk of the STS-121 mission. The primary purpose of the EVA was to test a repair material known as NOAX that could be used to fill cracks in the shuttle's reinforced carbon-carbon panels. The astronauts also tested an infrared camera designed to identify damage on the interior of those panels. With all of the mission spacewalks now complete, the STS-121 crew will have only light duty on Thursday before they wrap up their stay at the space station; the shuttle is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Saturday.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
California commission votes against increase in SpaceX Vandenberg launches
Posted: Sun, Aug 17 11:32 AM ET (1532 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, August 21
SpaceX’s Expensive Starship Explosions Are Starting to Add Up
Bloomberg News — 5:02 am ET (0902 GMT) Abolition of independent UK Space Agency welcomed by industry
New Civil Engineer — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT) Webb Telescope Images Previously Unknown Moon of Uranus
Aviation Week — 4:59 am ET (0859 GMT) The true cost of colonizing space
Baltimore Sun — 4:58 am ET (0858 GMT) FAA’s informed consent rules leave space tourists flying blind
Space News — 4:58 am ET (0858 GMT) |
