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Success for 2nd station spacewalk in 2 weeks

By WTOP Staff

MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacewalking astronauts replaced a failed electrical unit at the International Space Station on Wednesday, restoring full power to the orbiting lab.

The space station had been operating since spring with only seven of its eight solar-power channels. Wednesday’s work by Reid Wiseman and Butch Wilmore — NASA’s second spacewalk in two weeks — brought the energy capability back up to 100 percent.

The spacewalkers encountered balky bolts but still managed to complete the job in the allotted time, with less than two minutes to spare.

“Yoo-hoo!” they cheered as NASA declared victory.

The voltage regulator shorted out in May but could not be replaced until now because of a yearlong hiatus in nonemergency spacewalks by NASA. The stoppage was caused by spacesuit problems, most notably a flooded helmet that nearly cost an astronaut’s life in 2013.

Wiseman took part in the Oct. 7 spacewalk that jump-started NASA’s outside maintenance, accompanied by a German. This time, Wiseman was joined by Wilmore, who made his first spacewalk.

To avoid an electrical shock, the two spacewalkers waited until darkness before attempting to remove the old voltage regulator, so there would be no discharge. They took in the view 260 miles below as they waited for the space station to fly into the night side of Earth.

“I see Cairo!” Wiseman said. “Can’t quite make out the pyramids, though.”

Sunset came over Kazakhstan and China, and Wiseman began to undo the bolt holding down the bad regulator. His pistol grip tool failed to loosen the bolt. “I can feel it binding up,” he said. A ratchet wrench — along with some muscle — did the trick.

Wiseman removed the 330-pound boxy regulator from its slot and, with Wilmore’s help, popped in the new one. But once again, they ran into bolt trouble, this time in securing the new device.

The minutes ticked away as Mission Control debated how much longer to keep up the effort, before stopping for the next orbital sunrise. With less than 10 minutes remaining, flight controllers advised Wiseman to try tightening the bolt with the ratchet wrench. It worked. “Outstanding news,” Mission Control radioed.

Flight controllers immediately checked out the newly installed system, with less than three minutes to go. Success was declared with one minute and 45 seconds remaining.

The voltage regulator — officially called a sequential shunt unit or SSU — is needed to keep excess power from its designated solar wing, from overloading the station system. Power is regulated at about 160 volts.

After the May breakdown, NASA transferred space station systems dependent on the failed power channel to a backup. No operations were hampered, but NASA wanted that channel operating again for full capability and redundancy. It should be back up and running normally again by Thursday.

With their main job completed, the spacewalkers installed a new camera, and moved around various camera and wireless radio systems. The relocations are needed to get ready for the eventual arrival of new commercial crew vehicles. That’s still a few years away.

“It’s been a very successful day,” Mission Control said as the 6 ½-hour spacewalk drew to a close.

A Russian spacewalk, meanwhile, is on tap for next Wednesday.

____

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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