Space Station's new viewing deck experiences problems

Astronauts ran into trouble trying to move the International Space Station’s fancy new observation deck, and the job was put on hold as Mission Control debated what to do.

Space station commander Jeffrey Williams was loosening a series of bolts to release the domed lookout from the newly installed Tranquillity room when one of them jammed.

He backed out of the procedure and tried again. Then, another bolt jammed.

Mission Control informed the station and shuttle crews that engineers were reviewing what happened.

In the meantime, the astronauts were instructed to loosen the robot arm’s grip on the observation deck.

The arm had grappled the lookout a little earlier in the evening, to move the lookout from one side of Tranquillity to the other.