Astronauts begin second spacewalk with cooling system issue

May 15, 11:10 AMDC Space News ExaminerKeith Stein

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Photo: NASA

The Space Shuttle's flash evaporator system's primary A controller has shut down, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said Friday.

The flash evaporators reject heat loads from cooling loops during ascent and reentry. They are located in the shuttle's aft fuselage.

The crew swapped to system B, which is working fine, the agency said. “They will likely ask the crew to go back and try [controller] A later. Signature readings indicate that it might be ice in the core. A core flush may alleviate the ice,”

”This issue is being worked by ground teams and does not pose an immediate concern,” NASA said. It also does not in any way impact Friday's spacewalk.

Astronauts Mike Good and Mike Massimino began the mission’s second spacewalk Friday at 8:49 a.m. EDT.

For their first spacewalk of the STS-125 mission, Massimino and Good will spend the bulk of their time replacing the Hubble Space Telescope’s three rate sensing units. Each unit is part of a rate gyro assembly, which senses vehicle motion and provides rate data to help point the telescope precisely for its science observations.

After the new rate sensor units are installed, Massimino and Good are scheduled to perform the first half of the mission’s battery replacement work. They will be working in the telescope’s Bay 2 to replace the first of two battery modules. Each module weighs 460 pounds and contains three batteries, providing electrical power to support Hubble operations during the night portion of its orbit. The second battery module will be installed during the fifth and final spacewalk.

Friday’s spacewalk is scheduled to last six and a half hours.