Today's activity of astronaut Doi

Flight Day 5 (November 23 CST)

The crew woke up at 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 23 (CST) and they began the fifth day. They made final preparations for tomorrow spacewalking retrieval of the Spartan science satellite which would be conducted by mission specialists Takao Doi and Winston Scott.
Doi and Scott have trained for just such a contingency spacewalk should it be required in addition to their routine pre-mission spacewalk training. Later this evening, Doi and Scott inhaled pure oxygen for about 60 minute. And the crew lowered the air pressure in Columbia's cabin form the normal sea-level pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch to 10.2 pounds per square inch as a preparation of tomorrow's EVA. It is called "Pre-breathe". "Pre-breathe" is a process to prebvent a condition commonly known as the bends as follows.
They will put on their helmets and inhale pure oxygen for about 60 minutes. Then the pressure inside the Shuttle will be decreased from 1 atm to about 0.7 atm and they will breath the cabin air for more than 12 hours. After that they will put on spacesuits , and the astronauts will inhale pure oxygen for 40 - 75 minutes. The space suit pressure will be decomposed to about 1/3 atm, and the EVA will begin.

Doi demonstrates the EMUs.

History

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Last Updated : November 26, 1997