Astronauts fix thermal blanket on Atlantis
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{{NASA-Atlantis_Infobox|addsection1=
{{InfosectionStart|name=Related News|style=margin-top: 10px; background: #FFCCCC;}}
*{{wikinews|title=Heat protection system on Space Shuttle Atlantis damaged during liftoff|date=June 9, 2007}}
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}}
{{date|June 15, 2007}}

Astronauts on [[NASA]]'s [[w:Space Shuttle Atlantis|Space Shuttle Atlantis]] have repaired a 4 inch tear in the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS).

[[Image:Atlantis Blanket fix1.jpg|left|230px|thumb|An astronaut repairing the tear in the TPS on Atlantis.]]
At 1:00 p.m. [[w:North American Eastern Time Zone|ET]] astronauts began their third [[w:Extra-vehicular activity|spacewalk]] to repair the tear by using medical staples to seal the torn area. Astronauts tucked the material back into place and then stapled up the seams where the material was torn. 

But the repair did not go without flaws. Astronauts repairing the tear say that the tear line was "higher than expected," according to radio transmissions heard live on [[w:NASA TV|NASA TV]]. Astronauts also report that the area where the tear was present is "well worn away" and because of that, no staples were able to be placed on the top side of the blanket near the top of the tear, leaving a small "gap" between the seams.

Two rows of staples were placed along the tear to hold the blanket in place.

Atlantis received the 4 inch tear on its TPS on one of the [[w:Orbital Maneuvering System|Orbital Maneuvering System]] pods near the thrusters during take-off on June 8.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/breakingnews/ci_6150993
|title=Repair of space shuttle's thermal blanket complete
|author=
|pub=El Paso Times
|date=June 15, 2007}}

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[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:NASA]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle Atlantis]]

</noinclude>
Astronauts on NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis have repaired a 4 inch tear in the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS).

An astronaut repairing the tear in the TPS on Atlantis.
At 1:00 p.m. ET astronauts began their third spacewalk to repair the tear by using medical staples to seal the torn area. Astronauts tucked the material back into place and then stapled up the seams where the material was torn. 

But the repair did not go without flaws. Astronauts repairing the tear say that the tear line was "higher than expected," according to radio transmissions heard live on NASA TV. Astronauts also report that the area where the tear was present is "well worn away" and because of that, no staples were able to be placed on the top side of the blanket near the top of the tear, leaving a small "gap" between the seams.

Two rows of staples were placed along the tear to hold the blanket in place.

Atlantis received the 4 inch tear on its TPS on one of the Orbital Maneuvering System pods near the thrusters during take-off on June 8.
Science and technology Space NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis