Astronauts complete multitask in third spacewalk

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NASA reported progress on glitches to a critical computer system on the International Space Station on Friday as astronauts repaired insulation damage to the space shuttle Atlantis during a spacewalk, reports Reuters.
"We are cautiously optimistic with progress on the Russian computers," NASA spokesperson Phil West told Reuters. He said four of the six boxes or "lanes" that comprise the system were up and running.
Friday's news was the rosiest since the computers linked to the Russian segment of the 16-nation International Space Station crashed on Wednesday.
The computers control the station's positioning in space so it can draw power from the sun, maintain proper temperatures and position antennas for communicating with ground controllers.
The German-built computers also command critical life-support equipment, such as the oxygen generators and scrubbers that remove deadly carbon dioxide. Those machines can be manually controlled as well.
Russian engineers have determined that one or two of the systems' backup power supplies have failed. Persistent failure with the computers could have forced the temporary evacuation of the space station.
The computer crash was not considered life-threatening to either the station or shuttle crews.
NASA astronauts James Reilly and John "Danny" Olivas completed the third spacewalk since Atlantis arrived at the space station on Sunday as the machines soared over West Africa. The spacewalk lasted almost eight hours.
The spacewalkers' most crucial task was repairing a protruding piece of insulation into an engine pod near the rear of the spaceship.
The corner flap of a blanket tore loose during Atlantis' climb to orbit last Friday.
While the exposed gap is not believed to pose a Columbia-like heat shield breach, managers said repairing the damage would protect the shuttle's underlying structure from weakening during the scorching plunge through the atmosphere.
A breach in shuttle Columbia's wing, caused by a debris impact during launch, triggered the spaceship's breakup over Texas on February 1, 2003. All seven astronauts aboard died.