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Outfitting of the newest component of the International Space Station continues today with the mission’s third spacewalk. Shuttle astronauts Steve Smith and Rex Walheim will continue installation work on the S-Zero (S0) Truss, now permanently attached to the station’s U.S. laboratory Destiny. They are scheduled to step out of the station’s Quest airlock at 9:34 a.m. Their first task is to release a claw atop the lab that temporarily secured the truss to it during the initial installation. Walheim, wearing a solid white spacesuit, will release the latch as Smith, wearing a spacesuit with red stripes, begins making connections to route power, data, and video through the truss for later operation of the space station robotic arm, Canadarm2. During the 6½-hour spacewalk, Smith will be working from a platform on the station arm, operated by Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa and Flight Engineer Dan Bursch. Walheim will install circuit breakers in the truss, a task left over from the first spacewalk, which lasted 7½ hours. Together they will then turn their attention to the Mobile Transporter, spending about 45 minutes releasing its many launch restraints and removing a small thermal cover from a radiator on the railcar. Then they return to work on the electrical connections for about another hour and a half. After transferring tools and testing sensors on the side of S0, the last task will be to install the Airlock Spur. The 14-foot beam, fitted with handrails, will stretch from Quest to the forward side of S0, helping future spacewalkers work more efficiently. Inside the shuttle/station complex, Mission Specialists Lee Morin and Jerry Ross will coach the spacewalkers through the outlined tasks. Shuttle Commander Mike Bloomfield and Pilot Steve Frick will provide photographic and video support during the spacewalk, using Atlantis’ robotic arm. Atlantis’ crew was awakened about 3:52 a.m. by the song “All Star,” performed by Smash Mouth from the Shrek movie soundtrack. The song was played for Walheim by his family. Onboard the space station, Expedition Four Commander Yury Onufrienko, Flight Engineer Carl Walz and Bursch were awakened at 3:44 a.m. Both crews are scheduled to begin their sleep period at 7:44 p.m. The next STS-110 mission status report will be issued this evening, or earlier if events warrant. ### NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to majordomo@listserver.jsc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail. |
