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Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Friday for the second week in a row to repair a cosmic ray detector, this time actually cutting into the $2 billion instrument.
The International Space Station's Luca Parmitano sliced through eight stainless steel tubes, using hardware store-type bolt cutters. That set the stage to install new coolant pumps during the third spacewalk on Dec. 2.
Parmitano had to sever the tubes in a specific order and notified Mission Control each time before cutting. His spacewalking partner, Andrew Morgan, backstopped everything.
NASA likened the repair work to heart bypass surgery. At least four spacewalks are needed to fix the spectrometer, on the hunt for elusive dark matter and antimatter for 8 ½ years. Without a new cooling system, the experiment—led by a Nobel laureate—would end.
[...]The 7 ½-ton (6,800-kilogram) spectrometer rode to the space station during shuttle Endeavour's final mission in 2011. If successful, the repairs will keep the device working throughout the life of the station, or another five to 10 years.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 25 2019, @02:39PM (1 child)
Isn't the cosmic ray detector a cover story for some kind of weapon?
To be used against Mars?
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday November 25 2019, @11:10PM
No, you're thinking of the Death Ray, that's an entirely different department. Also, you're holding it backwards.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"