Astronauts set out-of-this-world record

Images from the Unity module and space station Alpha on Sunday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- Two astronauts who will live aboard the orbiting international space station for the next four-and-half months spent Sunday performing some high-flying home improvements and setting the longest space walk in shuttle history.

The walk lasted eight hours and 56 minutes, beating the old mark by about 30 minutes.

Most of the spacewalk mission was to make room on the space station for an Italian cargo carrier.

The excursion, by astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms, entailed slow, deliberate work with cables and connectors -- "a jungle of wires" as Voss called it.

"We knew this one was going to be tough," NASA's lead flight director, John Shannon, said when it was all over. The spacewalkers were "right on the edge" of what they could handle, he said, but performed admirably despite some initial butterfingers that put them an hour behind.

A plastic bag containing a hydrazine-detection kit floated out space shuttle Discovery's hatch as the spacewalk got under way. "Uh, oh," Helms uttered. Voss managed to catch the bag.

MISSION GUIDE STS-102     RESOURCES Space Shuttle Central CNN interviews Discovery's commander     MESSAGE BOARD Human spaceflight     VIDEO CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien on STS-102 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Miles O'Brien interviews: James Kelly, pilot, STS-102 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Paul Richards, mission specialist, STS-102 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Minutes later, Voss accidentally let go of a viselike device needed for a work platform. The 10- to 15-pound chunk of metal, about the size of a thick dictionary, drifted away and joined the thousands of pieces of junk orbiting Earth.

Because the part is considered critical, NASA had a spare on board.

The main event was the relocation of a docking port on space station Alpha. The bulky cone had to be moved from one side of a module to an other so the shuttle crew could plug the Italian-made cargo carrier into the vacated spot late Sunday night.

The reusable $150 million module, named Leonardo for Italy's Signor da Vinci, was packed with 5 tons of gear and ferried to the space station aboard Discovery. It will be emptied and returned to the shuttle for the March 17 undocking.

Voss and Helms disconnected all the cables on the docking port and removed an antenna to make room for Leonardo. "It's not my day apparently," Voss said as he struggled with stiff connectors.

The two also installed equipment in advance of next month's delivery of Alpha's massive robot arm. They did not have time to complete all the wire hookups and left the job for two other shuttle astronauts who will conduct a spacewalk late Monday night.

Helms paused just long enough to wish her mother a happy 68th birthday.

"Mom, I just couldn't think of a better way to spend your birthday," said Helms, a first-time spacewalker. "Sorry I'm not with you, though."

Sunday's chores also included one minor mishap when a 12-inch, 12-pound clamp broke free and floated off into space. The newest piece of space junk will be tracked by NASA and is expected to re-enter the orbit, although it is not clear when or where.

The loss of the clamp put the astronauts behind schedule and some chores were delayed until Tuesday's scheduled space walk with astronauts Paul Richards and Andy Thomas. A replacement clamp was found.

Helms and Voss also installed several pieces of hardware in preparation for attaching the station's robot arm, which is scheduled to be flown to the station on the shuttle Endeavour in April.

About 61/2 hours after going outside, Voss and Helms retreated to Discovery's airlock, a spacewalk pressure chamber, and patiently waited as shuttle crane operator Thomas moved the docking port. The spacewalkers were ready to rush out if necessary, but their assistance was not required.

After more than two hours in the cramped airlock, they were ordered back into the crew cabin and their spacewalk was officially over.

Late Monday, the Discovery crew is expected to attach the Italian-crafted Leonardo cargo carrier to the station. The carrier includes about five tons worth of equipment and supplies for the station, including a mini-hospital.

That unit will be snapped into place inside the science laboratory.

Helms and Voss will spend the next four months living aboard the space station, along with their Russian commander, Yuri Usachev, who moved in Saturday. Voss was to settle into the station Sunday night, and Helms on Tuesday night.

They're replacing Alpha's first crew, led by American Bill Shepherd. By the time Shepherd and his two Russian shipmates return to Earth aboard Discovery on March 20, they will have spent 140 days in space.

Late Monday, the Discovery crew is expected to attach the Italian-crafted Leonardo cargo carrier to the station. The carrier includes about five tons worth of equipment and supplies for the station, including a mini-hospital.

That unit will be snapped into place inside the science laboratory.

CNN Correspondent Miles O'Brien contributed to this report.

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March 2, 2001
Discovery a true shuttle on next mission
March 1, 2001

NASA
International Space Station - Science Operation News

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