Astronauts Head Into The Home Stretch Of First Spacewalk

Spacewalkers Garrett Reisman and Stephen Bowen are stepping through their last major task outside the International Space Station, working side by side to install a new work platform for a two-armed Canadian robot designed to do maintenance work outside the outpost.

Almost six hours into today's excursion, the astronauts are using pistol-grip power tools to bolt the platform down onto the robot, which is mounted on the outside of the U.S. Destiny laboratory. The job involves installing four bolts to secure the platform to the android and if time permits, they will connect electrical fuses and install a maintenance tether.

Flight controllers are going to limit the amount of time remaining in the planned 6.5-hour spacewalk, which looks as if it will go into overtime. Reisman and Bowen have about 40 minutes until they will be directed to start gathering up their tools and returning to the U.S. Quest airlock.