Astronauts get some work done
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station got a double dose of good news: A rotary joint that they spent days cleaning and lubing appeared to be working normally for the first time in more than a year, and a urine recycling machine finally was behaving.
For more than a year, the jammed joint had prevented the solar wings on the right side of the space station from automatically pointing toward the sun. The space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts went out four times to clean and lubricate the joint and replace its bearings. The urine processor -- a key part of a new $154-million water recycling system delivered by Endeavour -- had been shutting down prematurely since it was installed last week.
NASA needs to be able to convert astronauts’ urine and sweat into drinking water in order to double the size of the space station crew.
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