Shuttle Crew Snags Satellite Despite 2 Loose Antennas
Space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts accomplished the main job of their eight-day mission Thursday--snaring the 4 1/2-ton Eureca satellite from orbit despite two loose antennas.
“Eureka!” Mission Control’s Jay Apt radioed.
Two astronauts who were already scheduled to conduct a spacewalk today were instructed to secure the antennas when they go out. NASA was considering three options: having the astronauts push the antennas into place, tie them with bungee cord or, if that doesn’t work, leave them loose.
Astronaut G. David Low used the shuttle’s 50-foot robot arm to grab the boxy craft, which holds an assortment of experiments.
Endeavour had whizzed around the world with the satellite perched on the end of the arm until flight controllers finally determined that it was safe to tuck Eureca into the cargo bay with the loose antennas.
Officials believe the antennas did not retract completely because the satellite’s thermal blankets expanded from sun exposure.
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