Spacewalking astronaut Scott Parazynski is carefully disconnecting toxic coolant lines linking a solar array truss with the base its been mounted to since delivery to the station in 2000.
Flipping through a checklist fixed to his wrist, Parazynski is following a step-by-step procedure to disconnect lines that route toxic ammonia from the P6 solar array truss to the Z-1 truss atop the U.S. Unity module.
Spacewalkers always are very cautious when working with ammonia lines. Any leak could result in hazardous ammonia crystals sticking to a spacesuit. Special precautions then would have to be taken to make certain ammonia is not transported in to shuttle Discovery or the International Space Station.
Parazynski told inquiring flight controllers that no leaks had cropped up early on in the work.
"Negative. I do not see any crystals whatsoever. And i was very attuned, plugged in, almost expecting to see some," the spacewalker said. "But no. Not not at this point."
A leak of ammonia was spotted later but it was too small to be a concern. A precautionary inspection of Parazynski's suit nonetheless will be done before he reenters the station.
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