Update: Second Spacewalk Complete

Endeavour astronauts have completed the second of four planned spacewalks during their 15-day mission, which launched last Friday from Kennedy Space Center.

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough worked in space for six hours and 45 minutes, exiting an International Space Station hatch at 12:58 p.m. and returning at 7:43 p.m.

"It was a good day," Stefanyshyn-Piper said.

"Super day. Great work Shane and Heidi," said pilot Eric Boe, who coordinated the spacewelk.

"Outstanding job," mission commander Chris Ferguson added later.

Tools lost on the mission's first spacewalk Tuesday didn't keep the duo from completing their objectives.

They removed and replaced two more sets of trundle bearing assemblies from the damaged joint that rotates the station's starboard solar wings. More bearing assemblies were prepared for replacement during a third spacewalk that is supposed to wrap up repair work on the rotary joint, planned Saturday.

A 10 p.m. mission briefing from Johnson Space Center in Houston will update the progress made in orbit today, and whether the remaining two spacewalks are on track.

You can watch it live here on The Flame Trench, by clicking on the NASA TV viewer above.

The spacewalkers began their work by relocating two carts that run along rails on the station's main truss. They moved them out of the way for a mission early next year that will deliver a final set of solar arrays.

Kimbrough also greased snares in the grappling mechanism at the end of the station's robotic arm, which had been sticking.

Though she was short a grease gun, Stefanyshyn-Piper was able to use "wet wipes" instead to clean parts of the starboard solar rotary joint. The wipes are terrycloth mitts coated on one side with Braycote grease, the same grease used in the guns.

Stefanyshyn-Piper, who was working with the untethered tool bag before it floated away Tuesday, seemed to have kept her sense of humor as she returned to the station airlock this evening.

"Hopefully I won't lose anything on the way," she said, noting that everything was tethered.

The STS-126 mission has now logged 13 hours and 37 minutes of spacewalking.

Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen are scheduled to reunite for the third spacewalk on Saturday. Bowen and Kimbrough will team up for the last spacewalk on Monday.