spacetoday.net: NASA pleased with station repairs

Posted: Wed, Nov 26, 2008, 7:41 AM ET (1241 GMT)

NASA officials said Tuesday that they were very happy with the status of repairs made to both a problematic joint on the International Space Station and with a newly-installed water recycling unit. During the STS-126 mission astronauts performed a series of spacewalks to clean and repair the Solar Array Rotary Joint (SARJ) on the station's starboard side, a joint that allows the solar panels on that side of the station to track the sun. Those repairs appear to have been successful, and project officials believe that future problems with the joint, or more extensive repairs, can be avoided with regular lubrication. A water recycler that converts urine and sweat into drinkable water also now appears to be working normally following several days of work after the device was installed earlier in the mission. Endeavour is scheduled to undock from the station on Friday and land in Florida on Sunday afternoon.