Atlantis cruise astronauts make space walks

On September 12, two space shuttle astronauts Atlantis made one of three spacewalks scheduled to add two large modules to the International Space Station (ISS), including one. sun ten

These complex activities are intended to resume the construction of the ISS Station interrupted after the Columbia ship accident on February 1, 2003.

(Photo: NASA) On 9/11, when the Atlantis space shuttle was connected to the ISS Station, astronaut Chris Ferguson and Dan Burbank, one of the four mission managers took control of Canadarm's robot arm 1. Space shuttle to bring assembly parts weighing 16 tons out of the ship. They then moved these parts to Canadarm 2 robot arm of the ISS Station controlled by another astronaut.

Two P3 / P4 modules, including a solar antenna, a rotating system and other electronic devices, were stuck on Candarm 2's arm until September 12. They were placed on the ISS P1 module and locked by four compensators.

When locked, Canadarm 2's arm will relax to allow Joe Tanner and female astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper to perform the spatial connection of electrical and electronic devices between the new parts and the station. time.

On the morning of September 13, Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean will make a second space walk to prepare to activate and deploy the sun-spinning system.

On September 15, Joe Tanner and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper will make the third and final walk to complete the final operations that allow sun-feeding and active solar radiators.