Space Walking

I am overwhelmed with awe that astronaut, Steve Robinson, tethered to the robotic arm of the shuttle, was guided to the underbelly of the shuttle so he could remove two tiny pieces of filler protruding thru cracks in the tiles on the heat shield.

The walk required the most delicate of maneuvers in order not to bump, jar, or crack the tiles. The procedure was filmed under water in Houston and beamed to the astronauts so they could see how the job went before taking the space walk.

I can’t imagine the emotions Robinson must have experienced as the arm extended and moved him thru space, 230 miles from earth, traveling in opposite directions at great speeds, to position him on the underside of the space craft. His caution and composure as he reached for the fillers and gently pulled them away from the tiles, made the task look simple.

Questions remain whether the return from space will be safe. What exemplary qualities of bravery and courage these astronauts exhibit in the face of such danger! All the more reason they should not be subjected to the whims and ambitions of an agency that talk’s safety, but cuts costs in achieving it.

This current trip of the Shuttle to deliver cargo of needed supplies to the International Space Station is the first since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. It may be the last as NASA has cancelled future trips of the Shuttle until design problems threatening the lives of astronauts can be corrected.

I wonder what Grandma A would think of the International Space Station, orbiting 230 miles from earth with crews that spend months manning it. I think she would be astounded at the many space endeavors that have taken place since she saw the first Russian Sputnik. She was so thrilled to have seen it. As often as I attended Sputnik parties with friends waiting to see it as it came into view, I never saw it. There was always smog or the sky was overcast with clouds.