[sarex] Astronauts to Add Segment to Station During Spacewalk

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Astronauts to Add Segment to Station During Spacewalk*

Image above: STS-116 and Expedition 14 crew members take a moment for a 
group picture shortly after the hatches opened between Space Shuttle 
Discovery and the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA TV
TO SEE PICTURE GO TO:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html


STS-116 Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang will 
go spacewalking today. The primary objective of the spacewalk is to 
install a new piece to the space station's girder-like truss. The 
two-ton piece will be the fifth truss segment added to the port side of 
the station and is called the P5 spacer.

 From inside the space station Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham will 
use the station's robotic arm to move the new segment with only inches 
of clearance into its installation position. The spacewalkers will 
assist by providing two extra pairs of eyes as the exacting operation is 
carried out.

Once the segment is in place, Curbeam and Fuglesang will bolt it to its 
permanent position and finalize installation with power, data and heater 
cable connections.

Pilot Bill Oefelein will coordinate the spacewalk, which is slated to 
begin at 3:42 p.m. EST and conclude at 9:52 p.m.

Two more spacewalks are slated for STS-116, on Thursday and Saturday. 
All three will be based out of the station’s Quest Airlock.

Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews will continue joint 
operations, which began Monday evening.

For the latest news and information on the International Space Station 
and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read 
more <http://www.nasa.gov/station>