Word: spacecrafts
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Never before had a spacecraft gone up amid such an atmosphere of last-minute improvisation...
...could extend the pole and sheet out of a small airlock in the middle of the Orbital Workshop's exposed area. Springs in the umbrella's "spokes" would automatically snap the covering into a rigid rectangle that could be positioned close to the skin of the shieldless spacecraft. Major drawback of the parasol: the airlock mechanism would prevent the astronauts from seeing how the operation was proceeding outside the spacecraft...
While NASA engineers and flight controllers struggled desperately to save the mission, conditions aboard Skylab deteriorated and the launch of the three astronauts was delayed. First priority was given to finding a way to cool off the Orbital Workshop (other sections of the spacecraft remained at a normal 65° or 70°). Maneuvering the spacecraft with its thrusters, flight controllers in Houston turned the exposed area away from the sun. But by doing that they also changed the angle of the four working solar wings, which reduced their exposure to sunlight and dangerously lowered the production of electrical power...
...repair procedures in the simulated zero-G conditions of NASA'S water test tank. Indeed, the intense feeling among NASA'S rank and file reminded Astronaut John Swigert Jr. of the remarkable effort that enabled him and his Apollo 13 crew mates to bring their crippled spacecraft safely back to earth after an explosion. Said Swigert: "I think this incident will show that when the chips are down, we can turn a potential failure into a success. We've done it before. If this had been an unmanned project, it would be lost for sure. This...
...alone in its space troubles. Two weeks ago, the Russians orbited an unmanned spacecraft that they identified only as Cosmos 557. Last week U.S. intelligence sources reported that the mysterious Cosmos was in fact an unmanned Soyuz spacecraft that appears to have been launched as the intended docking target for a second manned Soyuz. The two ships, in effect, would have formed a mini-space station in earth orbit. But a failure apparently occurred aboard Cosmos, and the scheduled manned launch had to be scrubbed. Thus the Russians appear to have suffered a second major setback in space only weeks...