Shuttle heads for space station

[Rick]

Space Shuttle Discovery has begun a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), after a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Despite earlier concerns about poor weather, the shuttle blasted off at 1138 local time (1638 BST).

Its seven-strong crew will install the "Harmony" node to the space station.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7056539.stm

[Rick]

The crew of the space shuttle Discovery have wasted no time and are already hard at work extending the International Space Station (ISS).

Mission specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock started the first spacewalk just after 6am, Eastern US time. The schedule calls for the pair to be back inside in time for lunch, just after 12:30.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/26/spacewalk_nasa/

[Rick]

Two astronauts have begun a spacewalk, unpacking a unit from Shuttle Discovery that will be fixed as an extension to the International Space Station (ISS).

Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock stepped into space for an operation due to last six hours.

It is the first of five planned spacewalks to fit the "Harmony" unit to the space station.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7063568.stm

[Rick]

The astronauts of the space shuttle Discovery have completed the second spacewalk of the two-week mission to the International Space Station (ISS), and are preparing for the third.

During the spacewalk, one of the crew discovered metal shavings inside a rotary joint on a solar array. The joint is needed to allow the panels to turn to track the sun, but for now NASA has elected to limit its movement to prevent the shavings causing serious damage.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/29/iss_spacewalks/

[Ian]

can't they just vacuum them out?