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EVA update BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: July 10, 2006 at 1:15 p.m. Astronaut Mike Fossum is struggling to install a new cable reel assembly on the space station's solar array truss to restore redundant power, data and video between the lab and a robot arm transporter cart. Spacewalker Piers Sellers, meanwhile, back in Discovery's cargo bay, ran into problems with an apparently disengaged latch holding his jet backpack in place. Earlier today, Sellers' crewmates noticed one of the two extensions, or "towers," that hold the jetpack to his spacesuit, had come loose. The jetpack is known by its acronym, SAFER, for "simplified aid for EVA rescue." "Mark, we've been looking at a SAFER tower issue," astronaut Julie Payette radioed shuttle pilot Mark Kelly from space station control. "And at this point, we'd like to secure that tower. The only problem is it's the second one, the right one, comes off then the SAFER is no longer attached to the crew member. So at the time, we'd like for Mike to go and help out and put a tether between the tower and Piers." That was done and the spacewalk proceeded. But just before 1 p.m., astronauts on Discovery's flight deck noticed the one remaining latch appeared to be loose. There was no danger of losing the SAFER - it was still tethered to Sellers on the other side - but flight controllers wanted to resolve the issue and told Sellers to carefully make his way up to the solar array truss so Fossum could help lock the backpack down. As soon as Sellers floated into reach, Fossum secured the right latch with no problem. Fossum, meanwhile, had run into problems locking the new cable reel assembly in place in the truss, lacking the leverage needed to push it into position. With Sellers now up on the truss, the two astronauts are working together to secure the cable assembly.
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VIDEO:
PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 2 