Astronauts and flight controller's declared the first of four spacewalks by Endeavour astronauts a success, despite a "hiccup" that saw a tool bag lost in space. "You all did a great job today," said Shane Kimbrough, a mission specialist who coordinated the spacewalk from inside the International Space Station. "Welcome back."
"Thanks, it's good to be back," said lead spacewalker Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, who lost her grasp on the tool bag after discovering that a grease gun had leaked inside it. "In spite of our little hiccup there – or major hiccup – I think we did a good job out there."
"Houston concurs," said Mark Vande de Hei, a flight communicator based at Johnson Space Center. "You all were champs. You rolled with the punches and made it all happen ahead of the timeline."
"Great job today, awesome," mission commander Chris Ferguson added later.
Stefanyshyn-Piper shared tools with fellow spacewalker Steve Bowen to get all the day's planned work done, and get ahead on a few items.
The nearly seven-hour spacewalk began at 1:09 p.m. and ended at 8:01 p.m. It brought the total duration of 115 station-related spacewalks to 725 hours and 40 minutes.
A second spacewalk Thursday is expected to continue the cleaning and lubricating of a joint that rotates the station's starboard solar wings.
Stefanyshyn-Piper, a veteran now of three spacewalks, and Kimbrough, a rookie, will perform the work. Bowen completed his first spacewalk today, and is scheduled to particpate in the third and fourth spacewalks.
While the first spacewalk was in progress today, astronauts inside the station got about a day ahead of schedule unloading more than seven tons of equipment and supplies from the Leonardo cargo module.
The equipment includes a sleep stations, a toilet, an exercise machine, kitchen appliances and a water recycling system needed to support a doubling of station crews to six people next year.
IMAGE NOTE: Click on the image to enlarge it. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen returned inside the International Space Station after a nearly seven-hour spacewalk Tuesday. Mission commander Chris Ferguson and mission specialist Greg Chamitoff helped remove the spacesuits and clean off debris.
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