Shuttle and station dodge debris
Posted: Mon, Mar 23, 2009, 10:08 AM ET (1408 GMT)
As the crews of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station worked on a urine recycling device, the docked vehicles maneuvered to avoid a small piece of space debris. Discovery fired its thrusters Sunday to move the shuttle and the station out of the path of a piece of Chinese orbital debris approximately 10 centimeters long. The maneuver ensures that the debris would not pose a risk to astronauts during an EVA on Monday. The crew, meanwhile, worked on a urine recycling unit added to the station last year but in need of a new distillation assembly brought to the station by the shuttle. Early tests of the unit encountered unexpectedly low flow rates of fluid through the system, but replacing a filter appeared to at least partially solve the problem. Monday's spacewalk, by Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, is the third and final one of the STS-119 mission; the two will attempt to finish some tasks left uncompleted during Saturday's EVA as well as perform other station maintenance.
As the crews of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station worked on a urine recycling device, the docked vehicles maneuvered to avoid a small piece of space debris. Discovery fired its thrusters Sunday to move the shuttle and the station out of the path of a piece of Chinese orbital debris approximately 10 centimeters long. The maneuver ensures that the debris would not pose a risk to astronauts during an EVA on Monday. The crew, meanwhile, worked on a urine recycling unit added to the station last year but in need of a new distillation assembly brought to the station by the shuttle. Early tests of the unit encountered unexpectedly low flow rates of fluid through the system, but replacing a filter appeared to at least partially solve the problem. Monday's spacewalk, by Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, is the third and final one of the STS-119 mission; the two will attempt to finish some tasks left uncompleted during Saturday's EVA as well as perform other station maintenance.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX sets Nov. 18 launch date for sixth Starship test flight
Posted: Sat, Nov 9 9:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, November 22
Space Force eyes SpaceX’s Starship for future rocket cargo delivery missions
Defensescoop — 1:37 am ET (0637 GMT) Anduril receives nearly $100M deal to modernize Space Surveillance Network
Defensescoop — 1:36 am ET (0636 GMT) Anduril Awarded Program of Record Contract to Modernize Space Surveillance Network
Anduril — 1:36 am ET (0636 GMT) One contractor is on the Space Force’s naughty list
Defense One — 1:35 am ET (0635 GMT) Private Space Companies Thriving as NASA Picks SpaceX and Blue Origin for Moon Cargo Missions
Inc. — 1:34 am ET (0634 GMT) |
