I am old enough to remember that, but in fact I don't -- most likely because I was too busy playing with blocks at the time. I didn't start getting interested in space until about 1976. But I did know about the event (from about 1976, again) and it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw that tear in the panel...

I remember... ...I was ten. Confess I didn't follow it too closely because I ws spending a summer in Bremerton, WA with my relatives & having a ball with discovering marine life (not much of that in Montana)...The videos are great, and you're right. The adaptive nature of humans, our dexterity, and our on-site analysis capabilities cannot be underestimated in importance for complex repair activities. We got the robots beat for at least 20 years or so...

Well, the last time we tried to fix a space station solar wing, it was a mite bit different...

First off, we had only a few tens of hours of experience in zero-G EVA at that time, and while we sort of basically knew the need for footholds and handholds, we didn't know as much about how you had to anchor yourself properly in order to apply force through your body. Which is how Pete Conrad ended up flying, in his own words, "ass over teakettle" after he used his legs to exert pressure on a tether that was hooked to the end of the solar panel. Panel breaks free, the line goes slack, and Pete flies off the surface of the Skylab with all the power his legs had mustered.

Good thing the umbilical attaching Pete to the airlock was strong. He hauled up to the end of his line, stopped suddenly, and after positioning himself he pulled himself back along the umbilical.

Problem is, there were no TV cameras pointing at the right places to truly capture the event! We sort of saw Pete's legs go flying out of the picture when the SAS deployed, but only have his own colorful telling of the story for the details of what followed...

BTW -- I was 17 years old and followed the Skylab flights quite closely. Oh, for that amount of enclosed space again within a habitable volume! Nothing else has ever come close. (And if you've ever visited the backup Skylab, on display at the NASM, you'll realize that it wasn't all THAT huge in and of itself...)

-the other Doug

p.s. -- not only do I remember Skylab, I actually submitted a proposal for the Skylab student experiment program. It wasn't accepted, alas -- I was proposing studying cancer growth in mice in a microgravity ennvironment, and the hassles of keeping the mice were more than NASA wanted to deal with for a "simple" student experiment. But as I say -- I not only remember it, I tried to get an experiment flown on it! DVD

In regards to the spacewalk to fix the snagged panel, news reports are stating the astronaut:
"runs the risk of being shocked as he tries to fix the damaged panel."

Shorting something out and getting a few sparks I can see, but the idea of there being enough voltage there to be a shock hazard - particularly through the suit - is surprising to me. What buss voltages are they running there?

That's tabloid sensationalism again. They had a senior EVA guy from the astronaut office at the press con yesterday saying that they're taping up any metal parts of the suit, they're using insulated tools - there's no chance of getting a discharge.

Doug

And at today's presser it was pretty flatly stated that an astronaut "cannot" get shocked from this. A lot of very unusual and unlikely things would have to happen in tandem for a shock to occur. That said, it's still "no-touch."

In just a tad over 12 hours, this things starts!

NASA TV

replaying yesterday's tour

The repair procedure has now been published: Yes, CUFFLINKS!
Dam', you've gotta love these techies. Of course, if I was up there, the procedure would founder on the aluminum cutting step. I hate tin snips, and can never cut a straight line with them. I hope it's easier in zero G.

Good Luck, Crew! Win one for the Gipper.

...McGuyver was obviously a NASA dropout. Those guys devised (and documented, complete with pics!!!) this procedure & walked the crew through a test build that fast?!?!?!!!

I'm just a guy with an engineering degree; those guys are ENGINEERS!!! Boy, is my tax money well spent on their undoubtedly very inadequate salaries!

EVA in progress... beautiful pictures on NASA TV...

yeah i'm watching too

Scott sounds like he's having a ball up there... very relaxed and laughing about the many "dangerous things to look out for... 'Not sure there's much left to touch!' he replied just now, only to be told he was only half-way thru the list!

OMG... look at that...

get the camera working scott