[sarex] Expedition 9 Completes Successful Spacewalk

[Arthur Z Rowe <n1orc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur - N1ORC - Amsat A/C #31468

* Expedition 9 Completes Successful Spacewalk 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/issreports/2004/iss04-43.html>*
Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA ISS Science Officer Mike 
Fincke prepared the International Space Station for the arrival of the 
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and worked on external science 
experiments during their mission's third spacewalk. They spent 4 hours 
and 30 minutes today working outside the International Space Station. 
The excursion began at 1:58 a.m. CDT (0658 GMT) and ended at 6:28 a.m. 
CDT (1128 GMT) when the Pirs Docking Compartment 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/elements/pirs/index.html> 
hatch closed.

In preparation for the arrival of the ATV, which is a European Space 
Agency cargo ship that will visit the Station for the first time next 
year, Padalka and Fincke installed reflectors and communications 
equipment needed for the docking of the ATV. Padalka and Fincke also 
replaced several materials exposure experiment packages and a thruster 
contamination monitor.

About halfway through the excursion, the crew was ordered to move away 
from the aft end of the Zvezda Service Module 
<http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/elements/sm/index.html>, 
where most of their work occurred, so that the module's thrusters could 
fire in a maneuver to maintain the Station's attitude. The engine firing 
took place after the Station's Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) reached 
their saturation level, which was expected. The CMGs reassumed attitude 
control of the ISS after the maneuver.

This was the 55th spacewalk conducted in support of ISS assembly or 
maintenance and the 12th based out of Pirs. Also, this was Padalka’s 
fifth and Fincke’s third. Expedition 9 has now accumulated 10 hours and 
24 minutes of spacewalk time, and its next scheduled spacewalk is set 
for early September.
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