Astronaut Fixes Torn Solar Panel

In order to repair a damaged solar panel on the International Space Station, A US astronaut has carried out a dangerous spacewalk. The energy-collecting wing developed a rip when it was being unfurled at the port end of the platform on Tuesday. Scott Parazynski rode on the end of an extension boom to install homemade cuff links to the broken section. The repair work will enable the wing to be fully deployed and properly locked in position.

Atlantis Space Station

The crews of the international space station and that of Atlantis greeted each other wuth handshakes and hugs Sunday when the space shuttle arrived at the orbiting outpost. At the same time engineers, in Houston 220 miles below, started evaluating whether a peeled back thermal blanket should be fixed be the astronauts. A decision will probably be made in the next day or two and if the decision is to fix it, then another decision will be made as to whether it should be done during one of the space walks planned.