14 DAY TRIAL // When space shuttle Endeavor docked on the International Space Station earlier this week, it carried with it NASA's last great addition to the lab, the Node 3 module. Affixed on one of its ends was the seven-windowed observation chamber known as the Cupola, which was not installed in its final position, but temporarily attached, so as to resist the rocket launch. Now, when attempting to move the Cupola from the end of Tranquility to one of its underbelly docking ports, astronauts aboard Endeavor and the ISS experienced a major glitch, Space reports.
It would now appear that the insulation cover supposed to be used to provide protection for Tranquility as the Cupola was being moved does not fit its designated location. The device is made up of circles featuring multiple layers of materials, and its job was to cover the exposed docking berth as the astronauts handled the station's robotic arm and moved the observations’ deck to its final position. This cover clamps down to the exposed docking berth via four docking clamps, but it would now appear that these devices cannot be secured all the way.
According to mission specialists, there are apparently other pieces of metal that get in the way of the clamps securing properly, such as those that are securing the handrails installed on the exterior of the station, as well as a number of other tools. “When we remove a module and expose it to space, you want some kind of protection,” said yesterday Bob Dempsey, who is the ISS flight director. Constructing Tranquility took $382 million, and so everyone is proceeding very cautiously about this.
Officials at NASA say that engineers are currently planning the crew's next move. There are two main options – either move the Cupola without the protection cover installed on the other end of Tranquility, or stand down for now, and send a new insulation with the next shuttle mission, which will fly to the ISS in March. If the first option is applied, the empty docking berth will not remain exposed for long, as astronauts would soon place a protective cone above it.
However, it may be that the same type of glitch that prevented the insulation from being attached will prevent the Cupola from being attached as well. “When you have interference like this that you didn't expect, there's always that question in your mind that you have to go analyze,” states Dempsey.