http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts123/news/STS-123-13.html
Monday, March 17, 2008 - 5 a.m. CDT
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas03.17.08

STATUS REPORT : STS-123-13
STS-123 MCC Status Report #13

A new robot came alive and moved its arms outside the International Space Station overnight. Astronauts onboard the station moved Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency’s Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, for the first time.

Station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman and Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken first put Dextre through a series of tests to make sure the brakes on the joints on the two 11-foot arms on the robot work. Dextre passed those tests Sunday evening.

Later, Reisman and Behnken were the first to move Dextre’s arms, positioning them for Dextre’s final assembly during the mission’s third spacewalk. The movement was completed at 11:22 p.m. CDT. The placement will allow Behnken and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan to install additional accessories and remove thermal blankets from Dextre.

Work inside the Japanese Kibo Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section continued ahead of schedule. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi and European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts gathered supplies to prepare for the STS-124 mission, when space shuttle Discovery will bring up Kibo’s laboratory module.

The spacewalkers, Linnehan and Behnken, are camping out in the Quest Airlock. The hatch was closed at 4:53 a.m.

All ten crewmembers are scheduled to awaken at 1:28 p.m.

Preparations for today’s spacewalk will resume at 2:08 p.m. and the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:23 p.m.

The next STS-123 status report will be issued after crew wake-up on Monday, or earlier if events warrant.

- end -

http://news.yam.com/afp/life/200803/20080317894217.html
太空人進氣閘艙逼出體內氮氣 準備太空漫步
法新社╱何世煌 2008-03-17 19:35     

 
 
（法新社華盛頓十七日電）美國太空人今天準備再一次走出國際太空站冒險，完成加拿大製機械維修機器人「戴克斯特」的組裝工作。

任務專家林納漢及班肯今天大部分時間都將待在太空站「探索號氣閘艙」，以逼出體內的氮氣，之後將於下午七時二十三分（台灣時間十八日上午七時二十三分）展開本次任務的第三次太空漫步。

昨天上午，兩名美國太空人將兩支機械手臂安裝到機器人身上，讓它能接手部份太空人負責的工作，減少未來進行危險太空站外漫步的需要。

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080317/sc_afp/uscanadajapanspace_080317133406
Astronauts ready for third spacewalk to complete robot

1 hour, 26 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US astronauts prepared to again venture outside the International Space Station Monday to finish assembling a Canadian mechanical maintenance robot named Dextre.
 
Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Robert Behnken will spend most of the day "camping out" in the station's "Quest Airlock" to purge nitrogen from their bodies before they begin the third spacewalk of the mission that will begin at 7:23 pm (2323 GMT).

Early Sunday, two US astronauts attached mechanical arms to the robot, enabling it to take over some human tasks and reducing the need for future risky trips outside the station.

Their job got slightly complicated early in the seven-hour spacewalk when they encountered trouble unscrewing a couple of fasteners and removing one of Dextre's arms from its storage container.

The problem was eventually resolved with the help of a simple crowbar. But as a result, the spacewalkers fell slightly behind their timeline.

Linnehan and Mike Foreman, who arrived last week aboard shuttle Endeavour, recouped most of the lost time, performing their task using socket wrenches and drills to bolt the Dextre robot's two 11-foot (3.3 meter) arms.

The hitch notwithstanding, astronaut Steve Robinson, monitoring the events from Mission Control in Houston, Texas, congratulated all involved.

"You sure did a great job," he radioed. "You guys ought to be proud of yourselves."

Pierre Jean, a program director from the Canadian Space Agency, echoed the view saying the crew did "a fantastic job."

The 200-million-dollar robot, which was re-powered immediately after the walk, will be able to handle maintenance tasks that have been performed by spacewalkers, allowing astronauts to focus on research inside the orbiting outpost.

"Dextre looks quite a bit different today," observed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flight director Dana Weigel. "It's almost fully assembled: It has two hands, two arms and the main body is pivoted up."

Astronauts installed Europe's first space laboratory in a shuttle Atlantis mission last month and Endeavour's crew added the first of three parts of Japan's Kibo research facility this week.

Dextre, sent up on Endeavour which is 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 station.

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, and allow 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. Umbilical connectors provide power and data connectivity.

With Dextre delivered to ISS in nine separate pieces, the astronauts will use three of the Endeavour mission's five spacewalks to get it up and running.

Linnehan and fellow astronaut Garrett Reisman conducted the Endeavour mission's first spacewalk Friday to lay the groundwork for the robot's complicated assembly.

NASA plans to finish building the International Space Station by 2010, at which time it will retire its three-shuttle fleet.

Shuttle crew members also continued work putting together the first pressurized component of the newly delivered Japanese laboratory Kibo, the latest addition to the ISS.

http://1-apple.com.tw/apple/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Article&loc=TP&PageType=int&sec_id=7&NewsType=twapple&showdate=20080317&art_id=30361466
蘋果日報2008年3月17日

太空機器人「巧手」接臂

美國
【王潔予╱綜合外電報導】首座太空機器人「巧手」（Dextre）逐漸成形。美國太空人昨將這具龐然大物翻轉60度、接上手臂，逾一噸重的「巧手」坐了起來。目睹這段畫面的太空人說：「感覺很詭異。一片漆黑中，一個白色像人的東西在我眼前出現。」

協助搬運降低危險
美國太空人佛爾曼、林納漢前天深夜第二度出艙，先將「巧手」翻到適當角度，再插上手臂。其間，太空人使力橇開過緊的螺栓，比預計多花一小時，全程耗費七小時。裝上第一隻手臂後，艙內同伴貝肯透過無線電說：「做得好。」

預計「巧手」在今晚第三次太空漫步組裝完成，未來將會肩負艙外維護、搬運工作，減少太空人漫步的時數，降低危險性。太空人先前戲稱「巧手」是科學怪人，地面控制台前天藉晨間電郵，開玩笑地提醒太空人要小心科學怪人叛變。

太空人漫步時，艙內夥伴也沒閒著。他們在日本太空實驗室，忙著安裝器材。這批七名太空人12日飛抵太空站，任務天數12天，執行五次太空漫步，是史上最多。

「巧手」太空機器人小檔案
．名稱：正式名為「特殊功能靈巧操控器」（Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator，簡稱SPDM）
．製造者：加拿大太空總署
．主零件：扳手、類似雙手的可縮式鉗子、遙控相機
．功用：分擔太空人在太空艙外的危險工作，減少太空人太空漫步時數
．高：3.7公尺
．寬：兩肩共4.88公尺、單臂長3.4公尺
．重：1.56噸
．造價：逾兩億美元（約61億元台幣）
資料來源：綜合外電

http://news.yam.com/afp/life/200803/20080316881021.html
太空站機械人裝上手臂 未來可執行危險任務
法新社╱何世煌 2008-03-16 21:05     

 
 
（法新社華盛頓十六日電）兩位美國太空人今天在國際太空站外工作，將機械手臂裝配到加拿大製的機械人身上，讓它能取代人類執行任務，降低未來進行太空漫步這種危險工作的需要。

任務專家林納漢及佛曼約上午三時完成他們的任務，拖離儀器並前往太空站的氣閘。

他們七個小時的太空漫步任務在開始時變得有點複雜，他們在鬆開一些扣件及把機器人「戴克斯特」的手臂從儲存艙時拿出來時遇到麻煩。

美國國家航空暨太空總署發言人說，在一把簡單的鐵撬幫助下，這個問題終於獲得解決。但是因為這個困難「讓他們的太空漫步落後預定時程約四十五分鐘」。

上週搭乘「奮進號」太空梭抵達國際太空站的林納漢與佛曼趕回大部分的進度，使用套筒工具及電鑽來拴緊戴克斯特機器人兩支三點三公尺長的手臂。

太空漫步後，戴克斯特機器人立刻重新充電，將能夠處理之前由太空漫步者執行的維修任務，讓太空人在環繞地球的太空站內專注研究工作。

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080316/sc_afp/uscanadajapanspace_080316112912
Spacewalkers attach Canadian robot's mechanical arms

Sun Mar 16, 7:29 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two US astronauts, working outside the International Space Station early Sunday, attached mechanical arms to a Canadian-made robot, enabling it to take over human tasks and reducing the need for future risky spacewalks.

Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan and Mike Foreman finished their task at about 3:00 am (0700 GMT), stowing away instruments and making their way into the station's airlock.

But their job got slightly complicated early in the seven-hour spacewalk when they encountered trouble unscrewing a couple of fasteners and removing one of the robot Dextre's arms from its storage container.

The problem was eventually resolved with the help of a simple crowbar. But as a result, "the spacewalkers fell about 45 minutes behind their timeline," said a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Linnehan and Foreman, who arrived last week aboard shuttle Endeavour, recouped most of the lost time, performing their task using socket wrenches and drills to bolt the Dextre robot's two 11-foot (3.3 meter) arms.

Mission Specialist Robert Behnken coordinated the spacewalk activities from inside the orbital complex while Endeavour pilot Gregory Johnson and space station engineer Garrett Reisman operate Canadarm2.

The hitch notwithstanding, astronaut Steve Robinson, monitoring the events from Mission Control in Houston, Texas, offered all involved hearty congratulations.

NASA "You sure did a great job," he radioed. "You guys ought to be proud of yourselves."

Pierre Jean, a program director from the Canadian Space Agency, echoed the view saying the crew did "a fantastic job."

The robot, which was re-powered immediately after the walk, will be able to handle maintenance tasks that have been performed by spacewalkers, allowing astronauts to focus on research inside the orbiting outpost.

"Dextre looks quite a bit different today," observed NASA flight director Dana Weigel. "It's almost fully assembled: It has two hands, two arms and the main body is pivoted up."

Astronauts installed Europe's first space laboratory in a shuttle Atlantis mission last month and Endeavour's crew added the first of three parts of Japan's Kibo research facility this week.

Dextre, sent up on Endeavour which is 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 station.

The 200-million-dollar robot encountered a technical glitch before its assembly, but the problem was resolved in time for Saturday's spacewalk.

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. Umbilical connectors provide power and data connectivity.

With Dextre delivered to ISS in nine separate pieces, the astronauts will use three of the Endeavour mission's five spacewalks to get it up and running.

Linnehan and fellow astronaut Garrett Reisman conducted the Endeavour mission's first spacewalk Friday to lay the groundwork for the robot's complicated assembly.

Dextre's assembly will be complete with a third spacewalk set to start Monday.

NASA plans to finish building the International Space Station by 2010, at which time it will retire its three-shuttle fleet.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition17/index.html
Expedition 17 Crew Profiles

Commander 謝爾蓋‧沃克夫 Sergei Volkov
Cosmonaut Sergei Volkov will command the Expedition 17 mission, his first spaceflight. Since January 2000, he has been part of a group of test cosmonauts training for missions to the International Space Station.
 
Flight Engineer 奧列‧克諾涅科 Oleg Kononenko
Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko will serve Expedition 17 as a flight engineer. He was qualified for flight assignment as a test cosmonaut in 1998. This is Kononenko's first space flight.
 
Flight Engineer 蓋瑞特‧芮斯曼  Garrett E. Reisman
Astronaut Garrett Reisman will fly to the station aboard space shuttle Endeavour on STS-123 and join Expedition 16 as a flight engineer. He will stay aboard the station to join Expedition 17. In 2003 Reisman worked underwater as a crew member for NEEMO 5. This is Reisman's first space flight.
 
Flight Engineer 葛瑞格‧察米托佛 Gregory E. Chamitoff
Astronaut Gregory E. Chamitoff is scheduled to fly to the station on shuttle mission STS-124 and return to Earth aboard STS-126. Chamitoff previously served as a crew member on the Aquarius undersea research habitat for nine days as part of the NEEMO 3 mission. This is Chamitoff's first space flight.
 
Flight Engineer 珊卓拉‧馬格納斯 Sandra H. Magnus
Astronaut Sandra Magnus will fly to the station on shuttle mission STS-126. She will serve Expedition 17 as flight engineer and stay to join Expedition 18. Magnus was a mission specialist for STS-112 and led the NEEMO 11 underwater mission. This is Magnus' second space flight.
 
Spaceflight Participant 李素妍 Soyeon Yi
South Korean astronaut Soyeon Yi will launch to the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft with the Expedition 17 crew and return on a Soyuz spacecraft with the Expedition 16 crew under a commercial agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

http://news.yam.com/rusnews/international/200803/20080310754257.html
俄航天署將不對取消韓國宇航員飛往國際空間站作評論
俄新網╱俄新網 2008-03-10 17:45     

 
 
俄新網RUSNEWS.CN莫斯科3月10日電 俄航天署將不會對取消韓國宇航員飛往國際空間站作出評論。由于韓國首名男宇航員高山在接受訓練期間被懷疑洩漏重要信息，俄航天署因此決定取消其搭乘俄載人飛船飛往國際空間站。這是俄航天署新聞發言人亞歷山大·沃羅比約夫對就韓國一些媒體的報道向俄新社作的評論。美聯社此前曾報道，韓國政府應俄方要求替換擬于4月份搭乘俄羅斯"聯盟"號載人飛船飛往國際空間站的預備宇航員。俄航天署資料顯示，據說高山在宇航員訓練中心有違反逗留規定現象。韓國教育科學技術部在10日舉行的新聞發布會上對外宣布了這一消息。沃羅比約夫說："韓國應當為跟蹤本國首名宇航員升空合同信息承擔全部責任，因此無權反駁或確認已經發生的一切。"據韓國媒體報道，韓國教育科學技術部10日宣布，鑒于韓國男宇航員高山在訓練期間有違反規定等情況，決定由一名女宇航員取代高山于4月搭乘俄載人飛船飛往國際空間站。

http://1-apple.com.tw/apple/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Article&Sec_ID=7&ShowDate=20080310&NewsType=twapple&Loc=TP&Art_ID=30338479
蘋果日報2008年3月10日

全球首例 太空組機器人巧手
奮進號送組件 造價61億 扛探險任務

【王潔予╱綜合外電報導】全球第一組精密機器人將進駐國際太空站。美國奮進號（Endeavour）太空梭預計台灣時間明天下午升空，七名組員將在國際太空站外，組裝逾一公噸的機器人「巧手」。負責組裝的太空人打趣道，「巧手」一旦組成，將有如「科學怪人的怪獸」復活。

有如「怪獸」復活
歐美太空機構近來任務頻繁，亞特蘭提斯號（Atlantis）太空梭上月底甫返航，奮進號緊鑼密鼓升空，相隔僅三周。奮進號將載著日本人土井隆雄在內的七名太空人及「巧手」組件升空，任務16天，是美國航太總署（NASA）有史以來，時間最長的國際太空站任務。

此行要務之一是組裝「巧手」，它高3.7公尺、雙肩寬4.88公尺、單臂長3.4公尺，因強調敏捷性（dexterous），取名「巧手」（Dextre）。由加拿大科學家打造10年而成，造價約61億元台幣。

「巧手」主要功能是扛下具危險性的太空任務，及替未來太空探險鋪路。它只有上半身，腰可旋轉，雙臂各有七個關節，雙手具扳手、相機與照明功能，為求平衡及免雙臂相撞，每次只有單臂動作。首次升空的美國太空人瑞斯曼說：「它是巨無霸，看上去有點恐怖……就像科學怪人的怪獸復活。」它可沿太空站外的軌道自行移動，也可與太空站相連接，機動性強且有觸覺，精準度也高。

歐射火箭運補給艙
另外，昨天歐洲太空總署成功發射火箭「亞利安五號」，將雙層巴士大小、淨重11噸的補給艙「自動運送載具」（Automated Transfer Vehicle，簡稱ATV）送上國際太空站，補充太空站上太空人7.5噸的食物、飲水、加壓空氣、燃料及私人物品。

http://1-apple.com.tw/apple/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Article&Sec_ID=7&ShowDate=20080225&NewsType=twapple&Loc=TP&Art_ID=30294244
蘋果日報2008年2月25日

太空垃圾充斥 危太空站

【王潔予╱綜合外電報導】國際太空安全組織前天大聲疾呼，「太空垃圾已多到危及太空任務的程度」，從螺絲、螺栓、太空人手套，到半噸重的儲存槽，至少上萬件大型垃圾飄在地球軌道。科學家擔憂，國際間若再不立法遏阻，悲劇恐難避免。
美國上周不顧質疑，發射飛彈擊中失效的間諜衛星。國際太空安全改善協會負責人斯戈巴警告：「若現在不立法規範太空（發展）保護人類財物、性命是愚蠢行為。」

須規範民航業者

聯合國官員認為，要減少太空垃圾，須將民航業納入規範，因不少民營航太公司視太空觀光為大餅。

美國航空暨太空總署2006年數據顯示，地球軌道中10公分以上的太空垃圾約1萬件，10公分以下不計其數。以時速上萬公里飛行的太空垃圾，危及各類太空任務，體積最大的國際太空站首當其衝。國際太空安全改善協會指，目前有20個國家能發射太空器，但有嚴格安全規範者少之又少。

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_World&set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20080222014313174C458759
UN flag destined for space 

February 22 2008 at 02:16AM(AFP)

New York - A United Nations flag is to be flown to the International Space Station in April before returning to Earth to be displayed at a space exhibition in Vienna, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs said on Thursday.

The office said the blue and white emblem would be ferried to the orbiting space station by South Korean astronaut Ko San who is to conduct scientific experiments there for eight days in April.

On its return to Earth, the flag is to be presented to UN boss Ban Ki-moon before being taken to Vienna later this year to be prominently displayed at the space exhibition at the International Centre in the Austrian capital.

The tradition of astronauts taking the UN flag to outer space began during the earliest manned space missions. The flag has orbited the Earth, flown aboard space stations and reached the moon.

http://news.yam.com/afp/life/200802/20080222411726.html
聯合國旗幟將飄揚國際太空站
法新社╱盧瑞珠 2008-02-22 18:50     

 
（法新社紐約聯合國總部二十一日電）聯合國負責外太空事務辦公室今天表示，一面聯合國旗幟將在今年四月飄揚在國際太空站，然後再送回地球，在維也納舉行的航太展中展示。

辦公室指出，這幅有著聯合國藍白標誌圖案的旗幟，將由南韓太空人高山（譯音）今年四月進行八天太空實驗時，帶進太空站軌道。

回到地球後，這面旗子將先呈送給聯合國祕書長潘基文，再於今年稍晚被帶到維也納，放在航太展的顯著位置。

太空人帶一面聯合國旗幟到外太空的傳統，起源於最早載人太空任務。這面聯合國旗幟已經由地球軌道發射進入外太空，在國際太空站飄揚，並抵達月球。

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00296.htm
UN Flag To Wave Again In Outer Space
Saturday, 23 February 2008, 9:19 am
Press Release: United Nations

UN flag to wave again in outer space
21 February 2008 - A United Nations flag will make a historic round trip to the international space station this coming April, the Organization's Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) announced today.

Upon its return to Earth, the banner will be presented to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before being taken to Vienna later this year to take a prominent place among the permanent items at the space exhibition at the International Centre in the Austrian capital.

It will fly to the station with astronaut Ko San of the Republic of Korea, who will be conducting scientific experiments at the orbiting facility for eight days.

The tradition of astronauts carrying the UN flag into outer space began during the earliest manned space missions. To date, the blue and white symbol has orbited the Earth, flown aboard space stations and reached the moon.

OOSA is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space and the development and codification of international space law. There are currently five UN treaties governing outer space.