Garan to fly atop robotic arm in "windshield wiper maneuver"

[Inside KSC News Feeds]

Spacewalker Ron Garan, perched atop the space station robotic arm, will soar about 80 feet above the station complex in what has been called the "windshield wiper maneuver." First, Garan will detach a spent Nitrogen Tank Assembly from the starboard S1 truss and ride the arm across to the port truss, where he will exchange the 550-pound assembly with a new one that Mike Fossum will hand to him. Station Arm operator Karen Nyberg then will fly Garan back across the top of the station to the S1 truss, where Garan will attach the new unit. Fossum will attach the depleted assembly to the port truss.

The mission's third spacewalk began at 9:55 a.m. EDT, 37 minutes ahead of schedule.