Live in Orbit: First Spacewalk Under Way

Endeavour astronauts' first spacewalk is under way, officially starting 38 minutes ahead of schedule at 1:09 p.m.

Lead spacewalker Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, joined by rookie astronaut Steve Bowen, have just stepped out of an International Space Station airlock about 212 miles above Earth.

"OK, Heide, you have a go to egress," said mission specialist Shane Kimbrough, a choreographer for today's spacewalk who will participate in the second planned spacewalk Thursday.

"OK, thanks for the work," replied Stefanyshyn-Piper.

"Shane, I'm outside the airlock," Bowen said a few minutes later.

"Welcome to EVAs," Kimbrough replied, using the NASA acronym for spacewalks - extravehicular activity.

Their first task will be to move an empty nitrogen tank from a platform on the station's left side, called External Stowage Platform 3. Riding the station's robotic arm, Stefanyshyn-Piper will move it to Endeavour's payload bay.

Mission specialist Don Pettit, asisted by Expedition 18 flight engineer Sandra Magnus, are operating the robtic arm.

You can keep following the spacewalk by clicking on the NASA TV viewer above.

Views from Stefanyhsyn-Piper's helmet camera show the No. 16 in the bottom right corner. Bowen's camera show No. 18.

Stefanyshyn-Piper's suit is marked with red stripes, while Bowen's is all white.

The astronauts are arranging tethers that will keep them from floating away in space. They started with visors up at nighttime, but soon put them down as a sunrise approached.

"I still have all my teathers, and my gloves look good," Stefanyshyn-Piper said.

She is a veteran of two spacewalks in 2006 as part of STS-115, a station assembly mission that also included Endeavour mission commander Chris Ferguson.

IMAGE NOTE: Click on any image to enlarge it. Above, a view from Stefanyshyn-Piper's helmet camera. Below, at right Stefanyshyn-Piper can be seen in a foot restraint on the station's robotic arm, working to remove a nitrogen tank assembly from a station platform. To her left, Steve Bowen assists.