Live in Orbit: Fresh coolant tank installed

Discovery spacewalkers completed installation of a fresh coolant tank outside the International Space Station just after 9 p.m.

Christer Fuglesang of the European Space Agency carried the 1,700-pound tank from the shuttle's payload bay to the station's Port 1 truss segment, flying on the end of the station's 58-foot crane arm.

Partner Danny Olivas helped drive four bolts to secure the tank, which is filled with 600 pounds of ammonia, and connect fluid and power cables.

Next: a delicate hand off of the old tank being replaced.

It's been fastened to the station arm since Tuesday, when Olivas and station flight engineer Nicole Stott removed it on the shuttle mission's first spacewalk.

It remained there while Fuglesang rode the arm with the new tank for about 30 minutes, enjoying views of the shuttle and Earth below.

At 9:30 p.m., Stott and Discovery pilot Kevin Ford, who were operating the robotic arm, were in the process of releasing the old tank into the grasp of Olivas.

Fuglesang will move to a new position, take back the tank and then ride with it back to the shuttle payload bay.

The spacewalkers will bolt the depleted tank to a carrier for the trip back to Earth, where it will be refurbished for return to the station next year.

That would complete the major taks for the mission's second spacewalk, which is running a bit ahead of schedule. It started at 6:12 p.m. and was slated to last six hours and 30 minutes.