Spacewalking astronaut Dan Tani is collecting metal shavings inside a rotary joint that enables solar wings on the starboard end of the International Space Station's central truss to turn like a Ferris wheel to maximize electrical output.
Engineers in recent weeks have detected friction in the joint and believe that some debris must be obstructing it while it rotates. The metal shavings look like fine dust and Tani is collecting samples that will be returned to Earth for analysis. He attempted to take photos of the inside of the joint but he was unable to get his camera to operate.
Space news and analysis from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 
No comments:
Post a Comment