[sarex] STS-118 Crew Attaches New Truss to Station

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*STS-118 Crew Attaches New Truss to Station; Spacewalk Continues*

Image above: Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio participates in the 
first spacewalk of the STS-118 mission. Image: NASA TV

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

The STS-118 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the 
International Space Station with the addition of the Starboard 5 (S5) 
truss segment. With spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams 
assisting, Pilot Charles Hobaugh used the station’s robotic arm to 
attach the S5 about 1:35 p.m. EDT.

The spacewalkers are now focusing on the completion of the installation 
by bolting the S5 in place on the end of the Starboard 4 truss segment 
and making power and data connections.

The next major task of the spacewalk is the retraction of a radiator on 
the Port 6 (P6) truss. After the radiator is folded, Mastracchio and 
Williams will secure it. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station 
to the end of the Port 5 truss during a future shuttle mission.

Mastracchio and Williams kicked off STS-118’s first spacewalk at 12:28 
p.m. EDT and are scheduled to wrap up at about 6:58 p.m. STS-118 Mission 
Specialist Tracy Caldwell is the spacewalk coordinator, and Expedition 
15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson is assisting Hobaugh at the controls of 
the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm.

The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, which was activated after 
Friday’s docking, has been shut down as a precaution during the 
spacewalk. It will be brought back online after the conclusion of the 
excursion. The transfer system may allow Space Shuttle Endeavour and the 
STS-118 crew to stay at the station longer. A decision on a possible 
mission extension to 14 days is expected to be made Sunday.

Animations: + S5 Truss Overview 
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/STS-118/S5_OV.asx')> 
| + S5 Truss Installation 
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/STS-118/S5_Install.asx')>