A pair of astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis began their second spacewalk today while, inside the laboratory module they earlier helped to mount on the International Space Station, work continued on bringing that $1.4 billion addition to life.
Tom Jones and Robert Curbeam were rookie spacewalkers before Saturday. But after successfully attaching the Destinylab, they had successfully handled the single most expensive component of the $95 billion project without breaking it.
Their job today was similar but on a smaller scale.
Teamed with Marsha Ivins, the astronaut working the shuttle's 50-foot (15.2-meter) robotic arm from inside the spacecraft, they will attach a docking port to the free end of the 28-foot (8.5-meter) Destiny, a parking place for future shuttle missions.
This is the 15th spacewalk dedicated to space-station construction since the first module was launched from Russia in 1998. Russia and the United States are joined by Japan, Europe and Canada in a partnership to build the most advanced science facility ever flown in space. Completion is targeted for 2006.
With yesterday's opening of Destiny, the international station surpassed all other space stations in size, including the Russian Mir and NASA's Skylab.
The first space station was NASA's Skylab, which flew in the 1970s. The Soviet Union, and then Russia, quickly assumed the lead with a series of stations that culminated in Mir - the first attempt to establish a permanent human presence in space.
Mir, which is be de-orbited next month, fell victim to Russia's post-Soviet economy. The International Space Station becomes the second attempt to gain a permanent foothold in the heavens.
Reuters