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Loop A cooling system successfully activated BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: December 16, 2006 Flight controllers today successfully activated a powerful pump on the space station's main solar power truss, pushing ammonia coolant through cold plates and into big radiators to keep critical electrical gear from overheating. The pump activation was the final major step in a complex two-spacewalk re-wiring job to route solar array electricity through four big main bus switching units, transformers and other components making up the lab's permanent electrical system. "Discovery, for EVA, not only do you have a good view you have something to celebrate," astronaut Stephen Robinson radioed from Houston. "The pump module activation went great for loop A, so you will not be R-and-R'ing any pump modules." "Excellent, that's awesome news," drawled spacewalker Robert Curbeam. "That's good news," agreed fellow spacewalker Sunita "Suni" Williams. "Good job, guys," Curbeam added. "And a nice job by the software engineers who did all that work a long time ago," Williams said. Activation of the loop A cooling system was critical because the two main bus switching units at the heart of the channel 1/4 power circuitry would overheat if left on their own. An independent cooling system - loop B - was activated Thursday after Curbeam and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang wired in the channel 2/3 MBSUs and transformers. Flight controllers are now in the process of powering up space station systems that were shut down for today's re-wiring work.
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