Spacewalk goes on despite switch
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
HOUSTON, Feb 11 (AP): Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts geared up for a spacewalk Monday that NASA said would remain unchanged despite a last-minute switch in crew for medical reasons.
The only difference is who's going out the hatch," said flight director Mike Sarafin.
The primary purpose of the spacewalk is to help install the European lab, Columbus, that Atlantis ferried to the international space station.
The crew woke up Monday to the Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle," a tribute to astronaut Leland Melvin, who will use a robotic arm to pull Columbus from Atlantis' cargo bay and attach it to the station. Melvin thanked his sister for the dedication.
"She lets me know that I can fly like an eagle, which we're doing overhead right now," he said.
German astronaut Hans Schlegel was supposed to carry out the spacewalk with American Rex Walheim, but was pulled from the job Saturday because of an undisclosed illness.
Schlegel looked and sounded well Sunday, and was expected to take part in the second spacewalk of the mission Wednesday. For Monday's outing, however, American Stanley Love was taking his place.
Schlegel, 56, a physicist and former paratrooper who has seven children, was fine for Thursday's liftoff and became ill in orbit, European Space Agency officials said, adding that the condition was neither life-threatening nor contagious.
NASA refused to give out any additional details, citing medical privacy. But a majority of astronauts suffer from space motion sickness during their first few days in orbit.
With their flight now 12 days long because of the spacewalk delay, Atlantis' astronauts conducted another survey of a thermal blanket that has a torn corner; the stitching came apart at the seams, and the corner pulled up.
Engineers were analyzing the problem to determine whether the blanket would stand up to the intense heat of re-entry at flight's end, or whether spacewalk repairs might be needed. The blanket is located on the right orbital maneuvering system pod, back near the shuttle's tail.
NASA is vigilant when it comes to the shuttle's thermal shielding, ever since Columbia was destroyed in 2003 following a foam strike to its wing during launch.
John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team, said the thermal covering on the wings, nose and belly of Atlantis have no areas of concern and have been cleared for re-entry in just over a week.
The only difference is who's going out the hatch," said flight director Mike Sarafin.
The primary purpose of the spacewalk is to help install the European lab, Columbus, that Atlantis ferried to the international space station.
The crew woke up Monday to the Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle," a tribute to astronaut Leland Melvin, who will use a robotic arm to pull Columbus from Atlantis' cargo bay and attach it to the station. Melvin thanked his sister for the dedication.
"She lets me know that I can fly like an eagle, which we're doing overhead right now," he said.
German astronaut Hans Schlegel was supposed to carry out the spacewalk with American Rex Walheim, but was pulled from the job Saturday because of an undisclosed illness.
Schlegel looked and sounded well Sunday, and was expected to take part in the second spacewalk of the mission Wednesday. For Monday's outing, however, American Stanley Love was taking his place.
Schlegel, 56, a physicist and former paratrooper who has seven children, was fine for Thursday's liftoff and became ill in orbit, European Space Agency officials said, adding that the condition was neither life-threatening nor contagious.
NASA refused to give out any additional details, citing medical privacy. But a majority of astronauts suffer from space motion sickness during their first few days in orbit.
With their flight now 12 days long because of the spacewalk delay, Atlantis' astronauts conducted another survey of a thermal blanket that has a torn corner; the stitching came apart at the seams, and the corner pulled up.
Engineers were analyzing the problem to determine whether the blanket would stand up to the intense heat of re-entry at flight's end, or whether spacewalk repairs might be needed. The blanket is located on the right orbital maneuvering system pod, back near the shuttle's tail.
NASA is vigilant when it comes to the shuttle's thermal shielding, ever since Columbia was destroyed in 2003 following a foam strike to its wing during launch.
John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team, said the thermal covering on the wings, nose and belly of Atlantis have no areas of concern and have been cleared for re-entry in just over a week.