Adding one more headache to NASA, Rick Mastracchio had to cut short his latest spacewalk after he noticed a hole in his left glove. NASA asked Mastracchio and his fellow spacewalker Clay Anderson to return to the space station airlock soon after a quarter-inch-long rip in the thumb penetrated the two outer layers of the five-layer glove.
The spacewalk lasted 5 1/2 hours, an hour shorter than planned. This is the second time such a problem has occurred during a shuttle mission leaving astronauts uncertain about the major cause behind it.
However, analysis after lab test done on Endeavour’s heat shield showed that there is no serious danger to shuttle and can safely fly home next week.
John Shannon, Shuttle deputy program manager, is waiting for the last and final heat test so he could decide over the need for repair. In his words:
We’re pondering. But my personal feeling is, the data is 80 percent to 90 percent that we can use the shuttle as is. I am cautiously optimistic that repairs will not be needed.
Early analyses showed that damage is not in the sensitive area of the tiles meant to protect the shuttle from the 2,300-degree heat of re-entry that could melt the shuttle’s aluminum body.
However, NASA will decide on Thursday, depending upon the last heat test, whether they need another spacewalk to repair the damaged tile or to avoid any interference with damaged tiles, which can cause further complication.
Image Credit: Img
Via: ABC News
