Obama Talks to 12-Astronaut Crew on the ISS

Yesterday, March 3, US President Barack Obama called the joint crew of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station (ISS), marking the final flight the orbiter will ever make.

During the conversation Obama had with the 12 astronauts – who represent the United States, Russia, and the European Union – he asked that they finally release a space robot that traveled to low-Earth orbit in Discovery's cargo bay.

Robonaut 2 is a humanoid-looking robot that was developed by NASA and General Motors to assist astronauts on the ISS in a variety of tasks. It can function both inside and outside the ISS.

If this test run is successful, then more Robonauts could make their way to the station in the near future. Yesterday, the robot was still packed in its protective suit that safeguarded it during launch.

Astronauts were busy conducting two spacewalks since Discovery arrived. They also installed the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) Leonardo, an additional NASA-built storage room.

The crew was facing room issues on the orbital facility, and the new zero-gravity closet will provide them with the extra space they need to install scientific experiments and deposit supplies.

During yesterday's conversation, Obama and the astronauts kept things lighthearted, joking about Robonaut 2. “I don't know whether you guys are putting R2 to work, but he's getting a lot of attention,” Obama said at one point.

“That helps inspire some young people when it comes to science and technology,” the President added.

“He's still in packing foam. We hope to get him out shortly. It's going to be fun to see how he works,” answered Steven Lindsey, the commander of Discovery's STS-133 mission to the ISS.

“C'mon, unpack the guy! He flew all that way and you guys aren't unpacking him?” Obama replied.

R2 has been packed in its transport crate for more than four months. The oldest orbiter in the US space fleet was initially supposed to launch in early November 2010, but a series of malfunctions and glitches forced NASA mission controllers to delay the take-off.

The shuttle finally launched on February 24 from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida. It delivered Leonardo and R 2 to the space station, but also the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC 4), an exterior shelf to be mounted outside the ISS.

“I wanted to call and say how personally proud I am of you, and all that you're accomplishing. We're always inspired by the images of you guys at work, as you put the final pieces to make ISS fully operational,” Obama told the astronauts.

“You are setting such a great example with your dedication, courage, commitment to exploration. These are traits that built America, and you guys personify them,” he went on to say.

The space shuttle is scheduled to remain attached to the ISS until Monday, March 7. After it undocks, it will spend two days in LEO, while astronauts conduct safety checks on its heat shields.

It is currently scheduled to land on Wednesday, March 9, at the KSC, Space reports.