LIVE: STS-115 Flight Day 5 (EVA-2)

• #20 by Rapoc on 13 Sep, 2006 11:59
• What astronauts really love on spacewalks?
  Take photos of each other ;-)
• #21 by Thomas ESA on 13 Sep, 2006 12:17
• They are amazing though yes!
• #22 by rosbif73 on 13 Sep, 2006 12:25
• Releasing the last restraints now...

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• #23 by JimO on 13 Sep, 2006 12:40
• Somebody sent me a question regarding something he heard on NASA TV yesterday, that needs at least an explanation:
  
  "Commander Pavel Vinogradov report[ed] Unknown Object to Mission Control yesterday around 12:35 pm Central Time as the ISS/Shuttle Atlantis was passing over Africa...
  
  He said in Russian and it was translated over the Air on NASA T.V. , " We have an unknown object. We don't know what it is ... If no one knows what it is ... then no one cares. Do you have any questions ? "
  
  Mission Control answered , " No questions."
  
• #24 by nathan.moeller on 13 Sep, 2006 12:46
• At least Tanner has MacLean in his "lost bolt boat" with him now. Great images coming down.
• #25 by JimO on 13 Sep, 2006 12:47
• "The bolt/spring that was lost overboard in the zenith direction past covers 20, 19, and 18 was thought to be traveling
  toward the plus V-bar. Preliminary relative motion analysis predicts a slow opening rate to ~10 miles in front of the stack by FD6. "
  
  Wow. Somebody is confused about orbital mechanics, or at least in writing about it.
  
  If the separation rate was towards the + V-bar, the bolt had higher orbital energy than the ISS, and would slip into a higher, slower orbit and drift back down the minus V-bar for awhile until differential drag -- of an unpredictable direction because the bolt is so dense -- dominated.
  
  A slow PLUS V-bar drift now would only result from the initial separation being backwards into a lower-energy orbit.
  
  I suspect the trajectory people understand this, but the write-up people abbreviated the explanation.
• #26 by rosbif73 on 13 Sep, 2006 12:49
• I haven't been able to listen to all the audio myself (work colleagues would not appreciate...) but Bill Harwood has just reported that Steve MacLean has also lost a bolt, on cover 8 - this time without seeing it get away. He apparently then removed the just-attached cover and confirmed that the washer had gone too.
• #27 by Chris Bergin on 13 Sep, 2006 13:03
• Bolt info from last night's MMT on L2:
  
  SARJ Launch Lock Cover 21, captive bolt
  –Joe reported at 255/14:11 one of the inboard bolts was not captive.
  –The bolt/spring overboard in the zenith direction past covers 20, 19, and 18 and the washer going toward V-bar.
  –Suspect it all cleared the stack, but Joe was not positive.
  –He looked where it could have lodged if it didn’t head out into space in his opinion and it was not there.
  –Relative motion:
  •Preliminary analysis predicts a slow opening rate to ~10 miles by FD6.
  •More detailed modeling through EOM in work.
  
  

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• #28 by SWL-CHMY on 13 Sep, 2006 13:16
• Is this the same bolt than yesterday by Joe Tanner???
  Was it bigger or smaller?
• #29 by jacqmans on 13 Sep, 2006 13:20

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• #30 by MKremer on 13 Sep, 2006 13:23
• Quote

  SWL-CHMY - 13/9/2006  8:03 AM
  
  Is this the same bolt than yesterday by Joe Tanner???
  Was it bigger or smaller?

  
  Same kind of bolt/washer/spring. Different cover.
  
• #31 by jacqmans on 13 Sep, 2006 13:24

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• #32 by SWL-CHMY on 13 Sep, 2006 13:25
• thanks for answer
• #33 by Chris Bergin on 13 Sep, 2006 13:34
• Some trivia answers from last night's On Orbit Status Report...
  
  "It was (EVA-1) the 70th spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 23rd from the “Quest” Airlock.  After today's spacewalk, 44 NASA astronauts, 13 Russians and four astronauts representing Japan , Canada , France and Germany have logged 424 hours 43 minutes outside the station on building and maintaining it."
• #34 by eeergo on 13 Sep, 2006 13:37
• So, 3 out of 6 launch restraints already removed... and no problems but the bolt and a change in the screwdriver. Nice
• #35 by jacqmans on 13 Sep, 2006 13:42
• Did I hear that good, that they were talking about something drifting away....??
  
• #36 by eeergo on 13 Sep, 2006 13:50

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• #37 by jacqmans on 13 Sep, 2006 13:53
• Quote

  Chris Bergin - 13/9/2006  3:21 PM
  
  Some trivia answers from last night's On Orbit Status Report...
  
  "It was (EVA-1) the 70th spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 23rd from the “Quest” Airlock.  After today's spacewalk, 44 NASA astronauts, 13 Russians and four astronauts representing Japan , Canada , France and Germany have logged 424 hours 43 minutes outside the station on building and maintaining it."

  
  
  So after today's spacewalk (EVA-2) it is:
  
  71 spacewalks for ISS assembly.
  24 from "Quest" airlock.
  45 NASA Astronauts performd an ISS EVA.
  2 from Canada.
  1 from Japan.
  1 from France.
  1 from Germany.
  
  And totaling some 432 hours  (estimated)
  
  Does anyone have the numbers on "Pirs" EVA's ?, and Shuttle EVA's ??
  
  
  
  
• #38 by jacqmans on 13 Sep, 2006 14:00

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• #39 by Chris Bergin on 13 Sep, 2006 14:02
• Great comment from the BBC News presenter, after they went live to show EVA-2.
  
  "Can we take the afternoon off and just stay with these pictures".
  
  Doesn't matter who sees it, always seems to get that response. Brilliant.