Nov. 18, 2008 -- Two astronauts stepped outside the International Space Station Tuesday for an unprecedented clean and lube job on a gummed-up joint. Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen Bowen were armed with grease guns, putty knives and oven-like terry cloth mitts to wipe away metal grit from the clogged joint. It was the first of four spacewalks planned for space shuttle Endeavour's two-week visit to the space station; the astronauts also are making home improvements. For more than a year, the jammed joint has been unable to automatically point the right-side solar wings toward the sun for maximum energy production. The repair work -- expected to be greasy and hand-intensive -- will take up much of all four spacewalks. Related Content: Discovery Space for IM Interviews, Blogs, Videos and More Discovery News Blog: Free Space Howstuffworks.com: Life Aboard the ISS The joint is located near the extreme reaches of the 220-mile-high outpost. The spacewalkers had 85-foot safety tethers to keep them connected to the mother ship at all times. NASA suspects a lack of lubrication caused the massive joint to break down; grinding parts left metal shavings everywhere and prompted flight controllers to use the joint sparingly. Besides scraping and wiping away the grit and applying grease, the spacewalkers will replace the bearings. As a precaution, extra grease will be applied on a later spacewalk to the joint on the opposite side of the space station that has allowed those solar wings to produce ample electricity. Before tackling the joint repairs, Stefanyshyn-Piper and Bowen had to get some relatively mundane work out of the way. First on their to-do list: collecting an empty nitrogen gas tank outside the space station and hauling it back to the docked shuttle for return to Earth. Then they had to move an ammonia hose coupler from the shuttle over to the station, storing it on a giant toolbox holding other spare parts. Like other tasks on this mission, the astronauts began the spacewalk early. "OK, let's go out," said Stefanyshyn-Piper, the first woman to serve as a lead spacewalker on a shuttle flight. More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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