Expedition 10 Begins Spacewalk

Expedition 10 Begins Spacewalk

International Space Station crewmembers began a spacewalk early Monday to
finish preparations to welcome the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). They
opened the airlock hatch at 12:25 CST (06:25 GMT) for their mission's second
and final planned spacewalk.

Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov are installing
on the Zvezda Service Module the final three antennas of a six-antenna set
for the ATV, an unpiloted European cargo carrier scheduled to make its first
trip to the Station early next year. They also will install a Global
Positioning System (GPS) antenna for the ATV.

The spacewalk, in Russian Orlan suits using the airlock of the Pirs Docking
Compartment, should last about 5 hours, 40 minutes.

Sharipov, designated EV1, or lead spacewalker, is making his second
spacewalk. This is the sixth spacewalk for Chiao, EV2. Both are wearing
suits with red stripes. Chiao's suit will have a U.S flag on the shoulder.
After opening the hatch and assembling equipment, Sharipov and Chiao move
from the Pirs back to the small-diameter forward end of Zvezda. There they
install the three WAL antennas, space-to-space communications antennas for
the ATV.

The next task of the spacewalk is to deploy the Nanosatellite, the objective
of which is to develop small satellite control techniques, monitor satellite
operations and develop new attitude system sensors.
Next the crew moves to the large-diameter section of the Service Module to
install the GPS antenna and its cabling. Their movements to and around the
rear of the Service Module are being coordinated carefully with Mission
Control Moscow to avoid any possibility of contamination should it become
necessary to use Russian thrusters there to adjust the orientation of the
Space Station.

The final task is to inspect and photograph a laser reflector on the Service
Module's aft end-cone. The reflector helps control the ATV's final approach
to the Station, and the inspection is the last ATV-related activity of the
spacewalk.

The crew is scheduled to re-enter the Pirs airlock and close the hatch about
6 a.m. CST (12:00 GMT).

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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info