Spacewalking astronaut Dan Tani is inspecting a rail track that runs along the top of the International Space Station's massive central truss -- the skeletal backbone of the outpost.
Engineers are concerned that there might be some sharp edges on the rail track that could cut the gloves of spacewalking assembly and maintenance workers -- a potentially deadly hazard. Any breach in a pressurized spacesuit in the airless vacuum in low Earth orbit could spell big trouble for a spacewalking astronaut.
Tani is photographing a section of the rail track so engineers on the ground can analyse its condition. Glove damage has been noted during several recent station assembly missions and engineers are trying to pinpoint hazardous areas.
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