M A I N   N E W S

Astronauts go spacewalking

Houston, July 30
Two astronauts stepped outside the shuttle Discovery today in the first US spacewalk since 2002 and set to work testing damage-repair techniques developed after the Columbia disaster.

“What a view,” Japan’s Soichi Noguchi said as he drifted out into space while Discovery, docked to the International Space Station, sailed 224 miles (358 km) above southeast Asia.

“Yeah, it’s been a long road,’’ said spacewalking partner Steve Robinson.

They left the shuttle a little more than an hour behind schedule and were to spend 6 1/2 hours outside in the first of three planned spacewalks.

In their first task, they used experimental tools to dab on specially-developed materials NASA hopes can be used to repair damaged insulating tiles and wing materials that shield the shuttle from the heat of reentry.

They were to work only on test tiles stowed in the shuttle’s cargo bay, not on the orbiter itself, which sustained minor damage at launch on Tuesday from flying debris.

NASA engineers are to review the test upon Discovery’s return.

Developing ways to repair an orbiting shuttle was one of the recommendations of investigators into the crash of Columbia, which broke apart while returning to Earth on February 1, 2003 after flying debris struck its wing heat shield at launch 16 days before. The seven astronauts on board died.

NASA said it did not think the nicks to Discovery pose a similar danger, but has kept open the possibility of using the still-unproven repair techniques for real if they decide there is a safety risk.

Videos showed that insulating foam from Discovery’s external fuel tank came loose and possibly struck the shuttle as it rose from Florida.

Discovery was the first shuttle flight since Columbia fell. NASA thought it would be free of the flying-foam problem after 2 1/2 years and 1 billion dollars spent making it safer.

NASA said on Wednesday it would ground its shuttle fleet until the problem is fixed. No one knows when that will be, but NASA administrator Michael Griffin told reporters yesterday: “We don’t expect this to be a long, drawn-out affair.” — Reuters