Astronauts in seven-hour spacewalk

[Robbo]

A PAIR of spacewalking astronauts have attached two pieces of research equipment on the International Space Station's new European laboratory to study the sun and carry out experiments, NASA said.Astronauts Rex Walheim and Stanley Love floated outside the orbiting ISS for more than seven hours and successfully completed the mission's third and final spacewalk, adding two key pieces of hardware to Europe's Columbus lab.

 

The astronauts installed the SOLAR, an observatory to monitor the sun for two years, and the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF), which will conduct nine experiments needing exposure to space.

 

While they toiled outside, their colleagues inside continued to activate the laboratory, which gives Europe a significant foothold in the exploration of space.

 

NASA said the mission, which began with the Atlantis' launch on February 7, would be extended by one day to give astronauts more time to get Columbus running.

 

The space shuttle is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Monday night and land at the Kennedy Space Centre on Florida's east coast early Thursday morning (Australian time).

 

Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 61,00.html