Friday, May 27, 2011

Power and Data Grapple Fixture Connected to Boom

Greg Chamitoff, with assistance from Mike Fincke, released the six bolts holding the electrical flight grapple fixture to the space station boom and cut the grapple's cable. Using six bolts, Chamitoff then installed an adapter assembly on the boom. The pair then slid the power and data grapple fixture into place on it and secured it with four bolts. Now that the power and data grapple fixture has been added, the boom will be known as the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly. The 50-foot boom now can be connected to the Canadarm, the space station's robotic arm, to double its reach.

The crews are cleaning up from the activity. The spacewalk timeline called for Fincke to stow the electrical flight grapple fixture they removed in Endeavour's cargo bay. However, in the interest of time, the spacewalkers will instead return the fixture to the airlock with them at the conclusion of today's spacewalk.

The next task will be to work on a spare arm for Dextre, the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. The arm was delivered on the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3, where three expandable diameter fixture bolts held it in place for launch. Fincke and Chamitoff will release each of the bolts, making use of a specially designed pry rod, if required.

Mission Control also notified the spacewalkers that they would like to extend the spacewalk to approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes to allow them to accomplish the primary planned activities. Chamitoff will need to recharge his oxygen. He will skip a 15-minute task to inspect and perhaps tighten a tether on Dextre that has loosened some over time. If time allows, that task could be added back at the end of the spacewalk.

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