The Expedition 10 crew worked in the International Space Station’s Pirs Docking Compartment on Thursday. An airlock in Pirs will be the exit point for an upcoming spacewalk, so the crewmembers loaded it with equipment and tools they will use during the excursion. During the March 28 spacewalk, the crew will install antennas and lighting on the exterior of the Zvezda Service Module. The new equipment will be used during the 2006 arrival of the first Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo craft. Mission managers will discuss the event during a news briefing Friday at 1 p.m. CST (1900 GMT). Watch it live on NASA TV.
Also on Thursday, Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov successfully repaired a valve in the Station’s toilet.
The Elektron oxygen generating system, which provides oxygen to the Station’s crew compartment, has been working off and on since last Friday. It shut down early Thursday morning but was successfully restarted a few hours later.
A Control Moment Gyroscope, or CMG, shut down early Wednesday after a circuit breaker tripped. Two other gyroscopes are maintaining the Station’s orientation, and additional thrusters on the Russian side of the orbital outpost can provide steering control if necessary. When Space Shuttle Discovery visits the Station, spacewalkers will repair a third CMG and deliver several more as spares to be installed as necessary.
From NASA
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