[sarex] Spacewalkers Install S5 Truss,

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468

*Spacewalkers Install S5 Truss, Work Ahead of Schedule*

STS-118 spacewalk

TO VIEW IMAGE GO 
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
Image above: Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio participates in the 
first spacewalk of the STS-118 mission. Image: NASA TV

STS-118's first spacewalk continues to run smoothly and ahead of schedule.

The crew quickly went to work after starting the excursion at 12:28 p.m. 
EDT. 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. The spacewalkers then completed the task of permanently 
bolting the S5 in place on the end of the Starboard 4 truss segment.

Mastracchio and Williams are performing some scheduled and get-ahead 
tasks to prepare the S5 for the arrival of the Starboard 6 truss next year.

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 are scheduled to wrap up at about 6:58 
p.m.(2258 UTC) 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')>