A fault reading on one of the PMA-3 bolts will not clear, and ground controllers are troubleshooting to see whether the reading is incorrect. Engineers and flight controllers are exploring several options for continuing the operation.
Wearing yellow construction hats, gag gifts from the Endeavour crew, the crew of the International Space Station began robotically moving the pressurized mating adapter, or docking port, at 5:30 a.m. EDT today to make room for the Harmony node, which will arrive in late October aboard shuttle Discovery.
Unbolting the PMA-3 had begun by 6:10 a.m. EDT, when the fault was detected.
The nearly six-hour operation will relocate the 2,607-pound docking port 90 degrees to a nadir, or earth-facing position, to allow the International Space Station to expand.
Watch The Flame Trench for coverage of the relocation operation.
Click here to see the ISS elements.
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