[sarex] STS-117 Spacewalkers Work to Activate Truss

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*STS-117 Spacewalkers Work to Activate Truss*

Spacewalk preparationsImage above: Mission Specialist Steve Swanson 
(center) assists
Mission Specialists John "Danny" Olivas (left) and Jim Reilly
with spacewalk preparations. Image credit: NASA TV

TOVIEW IMAGE GO 
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

STS-117 Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and John “Danny” Olivas kicked 
off the mission’s first spacewalk at 2002 UTC.
The duo is performing tasks necessary to activate the Starboard 3 and 4 
(S3/S4) segment, which was attached to the station earlier today.

The spacewalkers' work includes making power, data and cooling 
connections between the station and the S3/S4, which contains a new set 
of solar arrays. The spacewalkers are also scheduled to release locks 
and launch restraints on the segment’s solar arrays and prepare its 
radiator and rotary joint for operation.

STS-117 Pilot Lee Archambault and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Oleg 
Kotov are at the controls of the station’s robotic arm for the 
excursion. STS-117 Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester is coordinating 
the spacewalk.

The orbital stroll is scheduled to last 6.5 hours.

The truss was attached to the station at 1828 UTC using the station’s 
robotic arm. The S3/S4’s solar arrays will increase the station’s power 
generation capabilities.

The start of the spacewalk and the attachment of the truss were delayed 
due to the saturation of the control moment gyros that control the 
attitude of the station. Flight controllers performed standard 
procedures to bring the CMGs back to normal operations.

*STS-117 Mission*
+ The Crew 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html> 

+ The Mission 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_overview.html> 

+ The Integrated Truss Structure 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>