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MD to mend to space station wing
Sat, 03 Nov 2007 05:07:36
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A medical doctor will repair space station torn wing.
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NASA has chosen an emergency medical doctor to make urgent repairs on the space station's ripped solar wing.
The repair is a dangerous and unprecedented electrical job designated to the mountaineer whose specialty at NASA just happens to be spacewalks. What's more, Scott Parazynski is 6-foot-2 and has long arms, a lucky stroke since he'll be working Saturday alongside a damaged electrical generator with hot wires possibly exposed.
Flight director Derek Hassmann said Friday, "We have a bunch of challenges ... but the beauty of having Scott available to us is that it's one piece that you don't worry about." He added: "I cannot overstate the significance of his experience and just his approach to the job."
To save the solar wing, Parazynski needs to clear whatever snagged the panels and caused the wing to tear while it was being unfurled Tuesday. He won't know what he's up against until he sees the damage up close.
As it is now, the wing poses a structural hazard for the international space station. The damage could worsen and the wing could become unstable, quite possibly forcing NASA to cut it loose and lose a vital power source for future laboratories.
MRI/HAR
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