Crew members on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station got a first look inside the orbiting outpost’s newest module and room with a view Friday evening
Video to follow this afternoon. AP is reporting the air lock between the ISS and Tranquility is not fitting properly. More on that later too.
ISS Commander Jeff Williams opened the hatch into Tranquility at 9:17 p.m. EST on Friday entering it for the first time with STS-130 Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson. The hatch into the cupola was opened after wards at 11:32 p.m.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts ran into trouble Saturday while setting up the International Space Station’s newest room, Tranquility: A critical insulating cover does not fit.
The fabric, multi layered cover is supposed to go between Tranquility and its observation deck, but the metal bars are not locking down properly because of interference from a hand rail or some other structure at the hatch.” AP
NASA – Astronauts who went into the module initially wore goggles and masks to protect against floating debris. Shuttle Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire worked with station Commander Jeff Williams to outfit the vestibule between Unity and Tranquility after a 9:17 p.m. EST hatch opening.
As that work continued, Endeavour Pilot Terry Virts and station Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi transferred parts of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device and an Air Revitalization System rack into Tranquility.
The hatch between Tranquility and its cupola was opened at 11:32 p.m. Its windows were blocked by their covers and by insulation blanketing.
Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick will hook up exterior fluid lines and do other work on Tranquility during their second spacewalk of the flight, scheduled to begin about 9:10 p.m. Early in their day, they configured spacewalk tools and worked on another spacesuit for Patrick, to resolve a power supply issue. The crew began an hour-long review of spacewalk procedures about 4:10 a.m. The spacewalkers started their overnight campout in the Quest airlock about 6:40 a.m.
After the spacewalk, Hire and Virts will grapple the cupola with the station’s Canadarm2 in preparation for its Sunday evening move to Tranquility’s Earth-facing port. The insulation blanket is to be removed during the flight’s third spacewalk beginning about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday. That will allow shutters to be opened for the first astronaut views.
About 2:30 a.m., Behnken and Patrick fielded questions from Twitter fans, radioed up from Mission Control by spacecraft communicator Michael Massimino. In the first-of-its-kind event, questions were submitted by dozens of Massimino’s million-plus following of “tweeps.” About three hours later, Virts and Hire fielded questions from Associated Press, CBS News and Reuters reporters.
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