Friday, November 02, 2007

Space News: Daring Spacewalk to Be Attempted

While trolling around for some sports news on 1530homer.com, I came across this real news story:
NASA is set to carry out the most dangerous and difficult spacewalk ever attempted.
Astronaut Scott Parazynski has the job of trying to repair a solar panel that has a tear in it. Nasa originally planned to carry out the repair today but because it is so complicated it has been pushed back until Saturday or Sunday.
The panel provides electricity to the space station and is still generating power posing the risk of electric shock to Parazynski. Parazynski will make the repair while suspended from a 50 foot boom attached to the space station’s robotic arm, and MIssion Specialist Doug Wheelock will assist from the station’s truss. Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani will be operating the station’s robotic arm from the robotic work station inside the Destiny laboratory. Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli will be the spacewalk coordinator.

Thoughts and prayers with the astronauts and their families.