Astronauts enter Japanese module, power to robot restored

WASHINGTON: US and Japanese astronauts late Friday entered for the first time a newly-installed Japanese module as engineers restored power to a Canadian-made robot that is key to future work in building the International Space Station.

Marking the beginning of Japan’s scientific work aboard the station, ISS Commander Peggy Whitson and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi opened the module at 9:23 pm (0123 GMT Saturday) and began transferring supplies and equipment into the new laboratory from the space shuttle Endeavour.

“I am very proud of this occasion,” Japanese program manager Tetsur Yokoama told reporters. He said the module was in “stable” condition after its attachment to the station early Friday and the temperature inside it was “sound.”.

The Japanese logistics module (JLP) is the first component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory that will be operating as part of the ISS.

Almost simultaneously, astronauts reported that their efforts to restore power to the Canadian-made robot Dextre had been successful. “I am happy to report that Dextre is in keep-alive mode,” said Pierre Jean, acting program manager for the Canadian space agency. “The situation looks very good.”

Dextre, launched into space this week, is a super-sophisticated tool providing a much-anticipated hand to astronauts on the ISS.

Once the “dextrous manipulator” is attached to the station’s robotic arm, it will replace astronauts in the execution of some tasks and reduce the need for risky spacewalks, according to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Dextre, sent up on the NASA space shuttle Endeavour which is currently docked with the space station, is the third and final component of the Canadarm Remote Manipulator System, the robotic arm that is Canada’s vital contribution to the orbiting outpost.

When Dextre was removed from Endeavour’s cargo bay, ground teams ran into problems routing power to the pallet on which the robot is being assembled.

The teams tried troubleshooting the problem with a software patch early Friday morning, but were not successful.

That fiasco led to the current successful attempt to power Dextre through Canadarm-2.

Dextre, which cost 200 million dollars to build, will be the arm’s crowning achievement, providing a versatile tool for delicate service of the ISS. The 1.56-tonne robot will conduct operations such as replacing small components on the station’s exterior — tasks which until now required a human touch.

Its presence will boost crew safety by reducing the number of hours that astronauts will have to be outside the station on spacewalks, and thus allowing them to focus on other tasks such as conducting scientific experiments in micro-gravity, according to the Canadian Space Agency.

Dextre’s two hands are each about the size of a small microwave oven. They are equipped with built-in socket wrenches, retractable claws used to grip objects, and remote-control high-resolution cameras. The robot’s human-like upper torso swivels at the waist, and its arms were designed with seven joints to provide it with maximum versatility. (AFP)