'Bolt removal issue' hits Hubble spacewalk Astronaut Mike Massimino yesterday used some good, old-fashioned brute force to resolve a "bolt removal issue" during the fourth STS-125 mission spacewalk on the Hubble Space Telescope. Mike Good and Mike Massimino during yesterday's fourth spacewalk. Pic: NASA Massimo and Mike Good (see pic) were tasked with replacing a low- …
Been there, seen it, done it, bought the T-shirt, seen the film and got the collectable figurines.
One thing puzzles me though. In order to actually have a stripped bolt in the first place, some SOB must have stripped it. I wasn't aware that NASA had previously taken the Hubble into Kwik-Fit* for servicing.
*Note for Americans. Kwik-Fit is a franchised chain of bodgers^H^H^H^H^H^H^Htyre and exhaust fitters. Their favourite tool is the air hammer with the torque settings permanently fixed at "....and the horse you rode in on", invariably fitted with a socket that's half a size too large. Rumour has it that they invented the rounded nut.
or at least the special underwear part of the suit is.
(Well, last time I checked, which was admittedly over 25 years ago.)
Besides, I can hold 8 hours with only minor discomfort if I don't drink, though my renollogist advises against it! Kidney stones are not fun!
Space-based brute-force has been common enough in the past. It even made it into the Apollo miison planning books. Part of the job of the astronauts on the Moon was to deploy seismometers on the surface. If they didn't work after being put in place there were a couple of things the astronauts could do to try and rectify the problem. The last "solution" on the checklist was "...apply Lunar Boot" i.e. give it a swift kick. It might just work and it couldn't hurt since they weren't planning on bringing it back for a refund.
"Sharp edges + pressurised suit = pop"
I believe modern space suits incorporate multiple layers of kevlar (as in, the cloth).
I could swear I read something about htem being built to withstand minor micrometeorite impacts. Although that's a lot of energy in a small area, I'd be dubious if they really could.
But I'm quite sure casual ripping isn't an issue.
I think holding your urine is pretty bad too, micro gravity helping the formation of stones and all. Yowch.
In the vacuum of space, protective coatings can evaporate.
On earth, technicians can forget to add that anti-gall goop.
With no oxygen to create an oxide film, metals will have a tendancy to weld together.
Let's just hope no life is endangered by the now ben railing. Better not let the fire marshall see this one.
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