Oct 18 2000
From The Space Library
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin recognized members of the Space Shuttle's ice and debris inspection team for their work on 10 October, leading to the discovery of a stray 4-inch (10-centimeter) pin near the Shuttle's external fuel tank, hours before the scheduled launch of STS--92. In response to the find, NASA had delayed the launch for 24 hours to allow the team to retrieve the pin, thereby preventing the damage that would have ensued if the pin had been sucked into the Shuttle's thermal protection system or into a main engine. Goldin awarded employees Gregory N. Katnik and Jorge E. Rivera NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal, an honor recognizing significant contributions to the mission of NASA through substantial and significant improvements in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology. United Space Alliance employees Michael Barber, John B. Blue, and Thomas F. Ford received NASA's Public Service Medal, an award given to individuals who are not government employees but make exceptional contributions to NASA's mission.
In preparation for the December arrival of a pair of solar panels, astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and Peter J. K. "Jeff' Wisoff cleaned up the top of the newly installed truss on the ISS. The two men also deployed a tray on the truss, which would hold the connections between the station's central structure and the Destiny laboratory module built by the United States and scheduled for installation in January. Next, the spacewalkers tested "mini jetpacks," known as Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue or SAFER. NASA intended the nitrogen-powered jetpacks for use only in emergencies, such as rescuing an injured or incapacitated spacewalker. With only limited fuel supplies in the jetpacks, each of the astronauts' moves had to be deliberate; each test maneuver lasted approximately 3 minutes, while the astronaut traveled a distance of about 50 feet (15 meters). The astronauts remained tethered to the Shuttle's robotic arm throughout the tests.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
