Kibo Installation

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station wrapped up a busy day on 3rd June 2008, completing a six-hour, 48-minute spacewalk and expanding the Japanese segment of the orbital outpost.

Mission specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed STS-124's first spacewalk at 7:10 p.m. EDT. During the excursion, the pair retrieved a shuttle inspection tool, serviced and inspected components of a solar alpha rotary joint and prepared the largest component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for installation on the International Space Station.

The spacewalkers first transferred the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) from the station's truss to space shuttle Discovery. The OBSS, which attaches to the shuttle's robotic arm for detailed inspection of the shuttle's heat shield, was left at the station during the previous shuttle mission to provide room for the giant Kibo module in Discovery's payload bay.

Next, the spacewalkers prepared Kibo's Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) for installation. After inspecting the common berthing mechanism on the Harmony Node's left side and opening a window cover, Fossum and Garan worked together in the shuttle's cargo bay to remove contamination covers from the JPM's docking surfaces. Fossum also disconnected heater cables and removed locking bolts from the shutters of the JPM's forward window.

For their final tasks, Garan and Fossum moved to the station's starboard solar alpha rotary joint, which has been operating in a degraded mode due to debris contamination. Garan installed a replacement of one of the joint's 12 trundle bearing assemblies. Meanwhile, Fossum inspected a depression on the joint's race ring and tried out several techniques for cleaning the debris.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide used the station's robotic arm to remove the JPM from the shuttle's payload bay and install it on Harmony, completing the task at 7:01 p.m.

On the following day, the crew powered up the newly installed JPM and opened the hatches to begin outfitting the lab.

(X9 speed)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Kibo
• JPM
• Japanese
• Pressurized
• Module
• Installation
• ISS
• STS-124

[banyt]

Not quite what Werner von Braun and disney had in mind back in '56 (OMG _50_ years ago!), but pretty close!

See their vision of space construction in my video: watch?v=ILjXGfTkKvk

[BrunoTheQuestionable]

Yes, he had a lot of things right even back then !

[Jmcenanly]

I had never thought of a construction task as being poetic.

[BrunoTheQuestionable]

Moving large structures does seem quite poetic, doesn't it.

[geomodelrailroader]

KIBO is an amazing module I thank the Japanese Empire for adding this module to the ISS

[SamosIMP]

Man.. we live on a waterball floating in a vacuum. What the hell are we?

[Utka9]

My elder son showed me your documentary few days ago and this is awesome, am still watching at the clip with the crew entering the laboratory.

Thanks for this!

[Nyberg1283]

yup, my aunt was the one that used the robotic arms to connect it...pretty cool

[watchnasatvcom]

The installation of the KIBO (JPM) module is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Thank you for posting the whole sequence, the music is nice, fitting. The station passed over this evening, seemed a little brighter than last time. :)

[IllyaBuffman]

nice vid!!! Its so exhilirating to dee the Earth come about so fast.

[A1R5N1P3R]

Man this station over head is amazing; but when will we start constructing a ship up there? ^ ^

[homousios]

yes it is poetic and etheral. It would seem that the most "mundane" of tasks has an added dimension in space! Great video. Thanks