Where is MacGyver . . .

. . . when we need him?

Today's the day. Associated Press reports that

Armed with forceps and a makeshift hacksaw, a Discovery astronaut rode a robotic arm toward the shuttle's belly Wednesday for the unprecedented task of eliminating a potential source of dangerous overheating during the shuttle's re-entry.

The mission is to remove or trim a piece of "filler material" that is sticking out between the ceramic tiles that make up the shuttle's heat shield. First, an attempt will be make to pull it out, then to trim it. NASA explains:

If a gentle tug doesn't work, Robinson will pull a little harder with forceps. And if he remains unsuccessful, he'll resort to a hacksaw put together in orbit with a deliberately bent blade, plastic ties, Velcro and the handyman's favorite all-purpose fix-it: duct tape.

Could I make this stuff up? I could not. Good luck!