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STORY WRITTEN FOR & USED WITH PERMISSIONPosted: December 16, 2006Flight controllers today successfully activated a powerful pump on the space station's main solar power truss, pushing ammonia coolant through cold plates and into big radiators to keep critical electrical gear from overheating.The pump activation was the final major step in a complex two-spacewalk re-wiring job to route solar array electricity through four big main bus switching units, transformers and other components making up the lab's permanent electrical system."Discovery, for EVA, not only do you have a good view you have something to celebrate," astronaut Stephen Robinson radioed from Houston. "The pump module activation went great for loop A, so you will not be R-and-R'ing any pump modules.""Excellent, that's awesome news," drawled spacewalker Robert Curbeam."That's good news," agreed fellow spacewalker Sunita "Suni" Williams."Good job, guys," Curbeam added."And a nice job by the software engineers who did all that work a long time ago," Williams said.Activation of the loop A cooling system was critical because the two main bus switching units at the heart of the channel 1/4 power circuitry would overheat if left on their own. An independent cooling system - loop B - was activated Thursday after Curbeam and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang wired in the channel 2/3 MBSUs and transformers.Flight controllers are now in the process of powering up space station systems that were shut down for today's re-wiring work.Video coverage for subscribers only:VIDEO:WIDESCREEN VIEW FROM PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER VIDEOISCOVERY'S LAUNCH THROUGH FUEL TANK SEPARATION VIDEO:SHORT CLIP OF DISCOVERY BLASTING OFF VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR PAD VIDEO:CREW FINISHES DONNING SPACESUITS VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS IN DINING ROOM VIDEO:TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF PAD GANTRY ROLLBACK VIDEO:LONGER LENGTH MOVIE OF THE SCRUB VIDEO:SCRUB CALLED DUE TO LOW CLOUDS VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR PAD VIDEO:CREW FINISHES DONNING SPACESUITS VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS IN DINING ROOM THURSDAY VIDEOAD'S ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE ROLLED BACK VIDEOOST-ARRIVAL COMMENTS FROM THE CREW VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE IN WAVE OF T-38 JETS VIDEO:BIOGRAPHIES OF THE DISCOVERY ASTRONAUTS VIDEO:NARRATED STS-116 MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE VIDEO:WEDNESDAY'S SHUTTLE BRIEFING IN ITS ENTIRETY BRIEFING SOUNDBITES:VIDEO:THE ISSUES DISCUSSED AT FRR VIDEO:NOT YOUR FATHER'S FRR VIDEO:READY TO RESUME NIGHT LAUNCHES VIDEO:LAUNCH PREPS PROCEEDING WELL VIDEO:YEAR-END ROLLOVER CONCERNS VIDEO:REASSESSING TANK FOAM RISK VIDEO:STATION SOLAR ARRAY DRIVE SYSTEM PROBLEM VIDEORESSURIZATION PRECAUTIONS AT THE PAD VIDEO:OVERVIEW OF STS-116 MISSION VIDEO:SHUTTLE/ISS PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE VIDEOREVIEW OF MISSION'S SPACEWALKS VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING VIDEO:COVERAGE OF PRACTICE COUNTDOWN ACTIVITIES VIDEOISCOVERY ROLLS TO THE PAD VIDEOISCOVERY MATED TO TANK AND BOOSTERS VIDEO:SHUTTLE HOISTED VERTICALLY INSIDE VAB VIDEOISCOVERY HAULED FROM HANGAR TO VAB VIDEOORT 5 TRUSS PAYLOAD PACKED UP VIDEO:CREW VISITS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VIDEO:EXTERNAL FUEL TANK MATED TO BOOSTERS MORE: Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Project OrionThe Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Spaceflight Now +Premium video content for our Spaceflight Now Plus .STS-1: America's first space shuttle missionThe space shuttle era was born on April 12, 1981 when astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen rode Columbia into Earth orbit from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A. The two-day flight proved the shuttle could get into space as a rocket and return safely with a runway landing. Following the voyage of STS-1, the two astronauts narrated this film of the mission highlights and told some of their personal thoughts on the flight. STS-2: First reusable spaceshipSeven months after the successful maiden voyage of space shuttle Columbia, astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly took the orbiter back into space on mission STS-2. The November 12, 1981 launch demonstrated that the space shuttle was the world's first reusable manned spacecraft. Although their mission would be cut short, Engle and Truly performed the first tests of the shuttle's Canadian-made robotic arm. The crew tells the story of the mission in this post-flight presentation.Meeting to review plans for next week's shuttle launch BY WILLIAM HARWOOD