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back to article Atlantis 'nauts suit & boot up for bolt release spacewalk

Atlantis mission specialists Steve Bowen and Garrett Reisman are due to exit the International Space Station this afternoon for the first of three STS-132 mission spacewalks. The pair are tasked with installing "a second station space-to-ground Ku-band antenna and a spare parts platform on Dextre, the two-armed robotic Special …

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  1. Steven Raith
    Joke

    Cruel subheading

    Come on, nuts and bolts - they aren't rocket science.

    (apologies)

    Steven R

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Flame

      Remeber that next time you try to fix a german kitchen mixer

      I had that one a while back... The main shaft had the "wrong" screw direction. "Nice" surprise for the DIY mechanic...

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      1. John Robson Silver badge
        Reply Icon
        Boffin

        Left hand threads are useful

        For instance ~half of all bicycle pedals have left hand threads - else precession would tend to uscrew them...

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Quite common that actually

        Reverse threads are common on things that rotate. Reason being as the item turns it will tighten the fixing rather than loosen it which can lead to a failure. Even BMC managed to do this, so it's hardly rocket science.

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  2. TeeCee Gold badge
    Thumb Down

    "Righty tighty, lefty loosey."

    Remember that things are not always what they seem.

    I remember feeling bloody silly having resorted to the nut-splitter after rounding off all the corners of a well-tightened and somewhat rusty nut, even after liberal applications of penetrating oil and the gas torch and finding out why all my efforts had come to naught. It's called a "left-hand thread", you know.

    My monumental feeling of sheepishness when I realised this cockup was only compounded by the sudden realisation that getting a replacement for my, now thoroughly butchered, 3/4" AF left-hand threaded castellated nut at half past four on a Sunday afternoon was going to be tricky.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Yup

      I normally spend the first 2 minutes of any given circular saw blade swap making sure the blade is on there good and tight, then I remember that saws are all backwards and pretend I was doing it wrong on purpose. Nope, nobody has ever believed that one.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Left Handed Thread..

    Generally only used on directional specific rotation mechanisims, usually wheels. (specifically on Hub Nuts!)

    I doubt there are that many wheels on the ISS.

    I suppose it is possible that they are used on the solar array rotational joints.

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    1. Edwin
      Reply Icon
      Boffin

      The other left handed thread

      is used in light bulbs, typically those in public places.

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      1. Steven Raith
        Reply Icon
        Troll

        Streetlights

        Interestingly, my (aptly named) chum Nutter, back in the day, nicked a streetlamp bulb and had it in his bedroom light fitting - the foot long orange lamp thingies that most rural streetlamps use.

        I never paid enough attention to see if it was standard bayonet fit - surely not?

        Steven R

        (has yet to strip a left-hand rotating bolt/nut due to not coming across them, but aware of them)

        Troll, because Nutter was a real life troll in many respects.

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  4. Frumious Bandersnatch

    will they ever get 'roud to live space cooking programs

    I'm quite looking forward to seeing them wokking on the moon.

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