Dr. Scott E. Parazynski played the leading role in an extremely dangerous and complex mission to repair a damaged solar array on the International space station. Perched aboard a robotic arm, far out in space, in nothing but his space suit with a limited supply of oxygen that could well prove inadequate in the slightest mishap, Dr. Parazynski carried a specially made toolkit to the damaged area.

Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, a two time Poly graduate, helped to keep Dr. Parazynski safe by reading out a long list of items to avoid touching and situations to guard against, while choreographing the spacewalk from inside the station. When Dr. Parazynski quipped, “I’m not sure there’s much left to touch,” Mr. Nespoli replied, “We’re not even halfway through the warnings.” Read more  in the article, Space Station Is Repaired in Spacewalk , in the New York Times.