Monday, February 15, 2010

Jammed Bolts On ISS

Astronauts' attempts to move the Cupola observation deck to its final position on ISS were hampered by glitches and jammed bolts, but with a little improvisational aid from the robotic arm on ISS, all is well. The crew should get its first look out the huge windows of the Cupola after the final scheduled spacewalk of STS-130, during which astronauts will remove protective coverings from the windows.

NASA speculates the bolts jammed because they were screwed in too tightly on Earth. It's amazing how such a small and simple thing could cause problems for such a large, complex, expensive project. The fact that such things don't crop up more often also argues for the ability and attention to detail of those who put ISS together over the last twenty years.

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