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Astronauts start work on ISS's new Japanese module

US and Japanese astronauts late on Friday entered for the first time a newly installed Japanese module as engineers restored power to a Canadian-made robot that is key to future work in building the International Space Station (ISS).

Marking the beginning of Japan's scientific work aboard the station, ISS Commander Peggy Whitson and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi opened the module at 9:23pm and began transferring supplies and equipment into the new laboratory from the space shuttle Endeavour.

"I am very proud of this occasion," Japanese program manager Tetsur Yokoama told reporters.

He said the module was in "stable" condition after its attachment to the station early on Friday and the temperature inside it was "sound."

The Japanese logistics module is the first component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory that will be operating as part of the ISS.

Almost simultaneously, astronauts reported that their efforts to restore power to the Canadian-made robot Dextre had been successful.

"I am happy to report that Dextre is in keep-alive mode," said Pierre Jean, acting program manager for the Canadian space agency. "The situation looks very good."

Dextre, launched into space this week, is a super-sophisticated tool providing a much-anticipated hand to astronauts on the ISS.

Once the "dextrous manipulator" is attached to the station's robotic arm, it will replace astronauts in the execution of some tasks and reduce the need for risky spacewalks, NASA said.

Dextre, sent up on the NASA space shuttle Endeavour, which is currently docked with the space station, is the third and final component of the Canadarm Remote Manipulator System, the robotic arm that is Canada's vital contribution to the orbiting outpost.

When Dextre was removed from Endeavour's cargo bay, ground teams ran into problems routing power to the pallet on which the robot is being assembled.

The teams tried troubleshooting the problem with a software patch early on Friday morning, but were not successful.

That fiasco led to the current successful attempt to power Dextre through Canadarm-2.

Dextre, which cost US$200 million to build, will be the arm's crowning achievement, providing a versatile tool for delicate service of the ISS.

The 1.56-tonne robot will conduct operations such as replacing small components on the station's exterior -- tasks which until now required a human touch.
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