PolyThinkers Pad

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.

Astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, who is a two time graduate of Poly, will take part in the single most complex operation in the history of the space program. It will require a record five spacewalks and will result in the installation of an Italian built module in the station, and the process of rendering it fit for human habitation. To read more about the mission, see the article in the Christian Science Monitor. To learn more about Paolo Nespoli, see In Orbit: Poly alum takes his first space flight aboard STS-120.

The space shuttle Discovery will be well-protected when it launches next month. On August 28, 2007, Chewbacca handed over Luke Skywalker’s original Jedi lightsaber from the 1983 film Return of the Jedi to NASA officials in a special ceremony at Oakland International Airport in California.

In celebration of the movie’s 30th anniversary, the laser-like weapon will be joining the seven-person crew of the Discovery on their journey to the International Space Station. The shuttle is targeted to launch on October 23, 2007.

See photos of the event

Read about the space shuttle Discovery