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WEEKLY WHINE

Interaction: STS-114 EVA review

Myers: Good evening, and welcome to Interaction once again from Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, FL, USA. Discovery has now separated from the International Space Station and is about a day and a half away from its return to Earth, completing the first Space Shuttle mission since STS-107 two and a half years ago. Mission specialists Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson have conducted three extravehicular activities, during which they demonstrated some heat tile repair methods, replaced one of the ISS's gyroscopes, and removed some stuff sticking out of the orbiter's underside. So just how successful were this week's EVAs? Will the decision not to remove a loose thermal blanket from beneath the window prove correct? Will ISS crewmembers Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips find the Secret Surprise that was included in their supplies before launch? We'll discuss these issues and more over the next hour, but first let's have the Interaction IQ, the Initial Question. Today it comes from Reggie Elements from Calgary, AB, Canada. He asks what the ratings will be for Discovery's reentry. We'll go first to a columnist at African Space Community magazine, Mr Jud Diou.

Diou: Low.

Myers: Now a columnist at K-Space magazine, Ms Lee Ko Don.

Lee: High.

Myers: A physics teacher at Mellon High School in Hunty Township, PA, USA, Mr Vinny Del Toro.

Del Toro: Medium.

Myers: And the head chef at Go Foods, Ms Estrel Grant.

Grant: All of the above.

Myers: And I'm Debbie Myers. I think the ratings will be a lot higher if I anchor the coverage, but I won't be. Let's move on now to talk about the EVAs conducted over the course of the week. Last week we discussed the first one, during which Noguchi and Robinson tested tile repair schemes and worked on one of the ISS's gyroscopes. There were two more EVAs performed, and the highlight was on Wednesday, when Robinson pioneered on orbit heat tile repair. But instead of having to use one of the techniques demonstrated on EVA 1, he merely had to slide two gap fillers out of the gaps that they were filling. Lee, you were observing this. How did it look?

Lee: I liked it. I don't know why astronauts have never done that before.

Del Toro: Because the Canadarm can't reach down there.

Lee: But the Canadarm 2 can.

Del Toro: That's true.

Lee: So how come they never used the Canadarm 2 to peek down there?

Del Toro: They didn't want to.

Diou: I would have. I so would have.

Lee: Yeah. Look at how much fun Steve had. They should have done that a long time ago.

Diou: But they didn't. That was kind of dumb. I'm sure they would have learned a lot.

Del Toro: What do you think they would have learned?

Lee: I think they would have learned what the underside looks like from close up. Steve was the first person to find out what it looks like from close up in space.

Myers: Yes, well, we'll have more time to talk about that later, but for the moment it's time to move on to viewer questions. Remember, you can get us your questions by telephone, telegraph, E-mail, snail mail, text message, facsimile, or parachuting Volkswagen Beetle. We'll begin with a question from Nick Cummy in Gothenburg, Sweden. He wants to know if George W Bush enjoyed his call to the astronauts. Well, the president of the US did call the STS-114 crew earlier in the week. He told the crew that they had a strong supporter of their mission in the White House, and he said that the American people are proud of them. Jud, you were listening in to that call, weren't you?

Diou: I was. I thought Mr Bush was candid and honest with the crewmembers. He thanked them for the work they're doing, and then he told them to get back to work. And they did.

Myers: Okay then. Let's move on now to our next question. It's by telephone, and it's from George in Washington, DC, USA. George, are you there?

George in Washington: I am here. Thank you for taking my phone call.

Myers: You're welcome. What is your question?

George in Washington: Well, I don't really have a question. Instead I just wanted to tell you all how proud the American people are of you. I want to thank you for being risk takers for the sake of news. I want to welcome our British and Senegalese and Korean friends, and I wish you godspeed in your show.

Myers: Thank you very much, Mr President. We want to tell you that we really enjoy what we're doing, we really believe in our show, and we believe in news commentary and getting people around the planet and seeing what's out there. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.

George in Washington: Well, listen, I want to thank you, Debbie, and your fellow panelists there. You've got a strong supporter for your show here in the White House.

Myers: Would that be you or Karl Rove?

George in Washington: I was thinking of Barney, actually. He has the cutest little thing. He barks along with the theme music. It's hilarious. Like I do when I watch Monday Night Football. Anyway, get back to work.

Myers: All right. And Mr President?

George in Washington: Yes?

Myers: You know all those jokes we do about you not knowing how to program your VCR or mixing up your soap and your glue?

George in Washington: Yes?

Myers: Well, we meant every word.

George in Washington: Thank you. And you know when I call you guys major league assholes?

Myers: Yes?

George in Washington: I meant every word.

Myers: Thank you, Mr President. Well, we still have time for one more question, and it's an E-mail from Maris in Sunrise, FL, USA. She asks whether astronauts still drink Tang. Estrel, you're our space food expert.

Grant: Tang is a drink.

Myers: All right, just for that, you forfeit your answer. Vinny?

Del Toro: I'm going to say yes.

Myers: Jud?

Diou: No.

Myers: Lee?

Lee: Ummmm... I'm going to guess no.

Myers: Well, as it turns out, astronauts don't drink Tang any more. So Jud and Lee, you were both right. One point for each of you, none for Vinny. And with that we're going to have to wrap up this week's Interaction. Discovery is due to return Monday morning, and by next week we'll have another edition of Interaction to look back on this mission. We'll be joined by a freelance photographer, a science author, a documentary filmmaker, and the editor of a planetary sciences journal. And don't forget to tune in to the World News Centre's coverage of STS-114's reentry starting at 08:00 UTC on MON 08 AUG 2005. From Kennedy Space Centre, good night.

Grant: It's afternoon.

Myers: We've heard that already. You forfeit the cookies in your dressing room. And they'll go to whoever can tell me how you go to the bathroom in space.

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