Steve Robinson Successfully Removes Fabric from Shuttle Belly

Steve Robinson Successfully Removes Fabric from Shuttle Belly

NASA has successfully managed to get the two pieces of fabric sticking out of the shuttle’s heat shield. Astronaut Steve Robinson went on a spacewalk and did the job for the crew. NASA had fears that these sticking out parts might cause excessive heat on the surface of the Space Shuttle while entering back in the atmosphere of the earth resulting to possible damage.

Robinson rode on the International Space Station’s robotic arm to the underside of the shuttle as part of a six- hour spacewalk broadcast live on NASA television. These fabrics protect the craft’s heat- shield tiles from damage as they expand in higher temperatures during takeoff. Robinson said after the mission: “That came out very easily. It looks like this patient is cured.”

Lead flight director Paul Hill said in a televised broadcast about the latest events on the Discovery Space Shuttle: “Today’s spacewalk demonstrates the capability that we’ve been working for several years to develop ways to get people down beneath the orbiter. It was something that was highly desirous for us from the beginning of the program.”

NASA is still assessing the risk the blanket poses to the surface of the shuttle and whether the current settings make it safe enough. They have not ruled out an extra spacewalk to do more fixes if so required by the crew on board International Space Station.