[sarex] Spacewalk Preparations, Cargo Transfers on Tap Today

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Spacewalk Preparations, Cargo Transfers on Tap Today*
31 October 2007

Image Above: Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and STS-120 Commander Pam 
Melroy speak to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano from inside the 
Harmony node. Image credit: NASA TV
TO VIEW IMAGES GO 
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Today, the STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews will continue cargo transfers 
and prepare for Thursday’s spacewalk. The two crews will also hold the 
traditional joint crew news conference.

The spacewalk preparations include preparing equipment and reviewing 
procedures. Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will 
conduct the excursion, which is slated to kick off at 4:58 a.m. EDT 
Thursday.

The news conference will take place at 7:48 a.m. The crew members will 
field questions from reporters on the ground.

*Teams Evaluate Array Damage*

Image Above: A view of a damaged P6 4B solar array wing on the 
International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TV

Engineering teams continue to look at the damage to the P6 4B solar 
array spotted by the crew during deployment Tuesday. NASA halted the 
deployment of the solar array wing to evaluate the damage. Deployment 
was about 80 percent complete.

The crew photographed the area on the solar array wing and downlinked 
the images to the ground.

Meanwhile during post-spacewalk activities, Mission Specialist Doug 
Wheelock reported to the ground that he had seen a small hole in one of 
his gloves. The crew sent photos of the glove to the ground for further 
review.

*Mission Information*
+ STS-120 Mission Overview 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html>
+ Harmony Node 2 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html>
+ Space Shuttle Discovery 
<http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-info.html>