Panel Retracts With Some... Coaxing

This time, it was personal -- but STS-116 spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang rose to the challenge, and completed efforts to retract the port solar array on the International Space Station’s P6 truss segment Monday. The final section was folded about 6:55 pm EST.

NASA reports Curbeam and Fuglesang freed up the array for retraction with several techniques -- pulling guide wires, flipping grommets, and pushing panel hinges. The spacewalkers also shook the solar array panel (they resisted the urge to kick the blasted thing.)

"It's very important from a personal standpoint," said Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham before the fourth spacewalk got underway. "I think we're all very Type A personalities -- I think my crew would agree with me there -- so we always like to accomplish the task that we are given."

Another objective of Monday’s spacewalk was to collect information that could prove useful when the opposite side of the array is retracted during the STS-117 mission in March.

The start of the spacewalk was a historic moment for Curbeam, who became the first astronaut to conduct four spacewalks during a single mission. This is Fuglesang’s third. Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams conducted one.

Pilot Bill Oefelein coordinated the spacewalk activities. Higginbotham and Williams were at the controls of the station’s robot arm, Canadarm2.

As Aero-News reported, Discovery is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 5:09 pm. Tuesday, ending STS-116’s eight-day stay at the station. The orbiter is scheduled to return home Friday afternoon.

FMI: www.nasa.gov