Spacewalking astronauts have finished prepping the U.S. Harmony module for delivery to the International Space Station, setting the stage for the 15.5-ton node to be hoisted out of Discovery's cargo bay.
Working at a control station inside the U.S. Destiny science laboratory, Discovery mission specialist Stephanie Wilson and outpost flight engineer Dan Tani will grapple Harmony with the station's Canadian-built robot arm.
The can-shaped module will be lifted out of the bay and then flipped into position for installation on a berthing port on the side of the U.S. Unity module. The module will remain there until the shuttle crew departs the station.
Ultimately, it will be outfitted with a conical docking port and then moved to the forward end of the Destiny lab, where it will serve as a pressurized passageway to still-to-be-launched European and Japanese science research facilities.
Spacewalkers Scott Parazynski and Douglas Wheelock, meanwhile, are moving on to their next chore: Preparing a huge solar array truss to be relocated later in the mission.
Parazynski will carefully disconnect ammonia coolant lines from the P6 truss while Wheelock places a shroud over an array radiator. Shrouds also will be placed over two electronics boxes to keep them thermally conditioned during the move.
The astronauts still are enjoying the view.
"Beautiful sunrise," Parazynski said. "You just can't recreate that color blue on Earth."
They also are having fun.
European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who is directing the spacewalk from windows on the shuttle's flight deck, ribbed Parazynski while he was toting a tool bag from one work site to another.
"Scott, you look pretty good with that purse on your right side," Nespoli said.
"It's a man purse!" Parazynski joked. "It's European."
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