Live in orbit: Spacewalkers nearly suited up

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Schlegel and Walheim

Spacewalkers in final suitup

Assisted by ISS Commander Peggy Whitson and Atlantis Commander Steve Frick, spacewalkers Rex Walheim and Hans Schlegel performed final checks on their spacesuits.

They face one big task during the 6.5-hour spacewalk that will begin at 9:35 a.m. EST. Preparations are about 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

The pair will install a nitrogen tank assembly on the P-1 truss and bring the old tank back to the payload bay for return to Earth. Mission Control has lined up several get ahead tasks if the pair finishes the tank installation early.

Schlegel missed a spacewalk Monday due a medical condition that NASA would not disclose.

We'll have live coverage here this morning. Stay tuned.

Click for interactive graphic on Columbus installation.

Click for STS-122 fact sheet.

Click for NASA-TV schedule, which details mission events.















The nitrogen tank assembly (NTA) sits in the payload bay beneath two European experiments, SOLAR and EUTEF. The spacewalkers will return the old tank to the payload bay.