Sunday, February 10, 2008

Live in orbit: Mission extended, new tasks set














The Columbus module will be attached to the space station on Monday.


Click here for video.

ISS flight director Ron Spencer said the Atlantis crew will transfer supplies today and perform a focused inspection of a tear in the insulation blanket on the orbital maneuvering system pod.

Today's spacewalk to install the Columbus module was delayed due to the illness of spacewalker Hans Schlegel.

"It's not like we've completely lost the day," Spencer said.

Stan Love will replace Schlegel Monday during the spacewalk to help transfer the Columbus module to the space station. Love has been trained as a backup and will spend four hours today studying the spacewalk timeline.

"We expect it to go off (Monday) without a hitch," said Spencer.

Also today at 2:15 p.m. EST, the crew will examine slight damage on the right OMS pod blanket.

"We'll take a more detailed look with the cameras on the robot arm," said Spencer. "We don't know if it's just protruding or if it's torn."

Though NASA has not confirmed which astronaut is ill, a European flight controller wished Hans Schlegel a speedy recovery.

"We are keeping our fingers crosssed that he will be better soon," he said.

The 11-day mission has been extended by one day, and mission managers say there will be enough power and supplies to add a second day, if necessary.














Mission managers today plan a focused inspection of the insulation blanket tear on the orbital maneuvering system pod. A similar tear during STS-117 this summer was repaired during a spacewalk.


Click for NASA-TV schedule, which details mission events.

Click for STS-122 fact sheet.

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