Astronauts complete 6-hour spacewalk
Last Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 | 5:43 PM ET
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
Space shuttle Atlantis astronaut Randy Bresnik works during the second spacewalk of the mission at the International Space Station on Saturday. (NASA/Associated Press)Astronauts from space shuttle Atlantis completed the second of three scheduled spacewalks Saturday, spending just over six hours installing equipment on the International Space Station.
Mission specialists Randolph Bresnik and Michael Foreman hooked up new antennas, relocated a monitor, set up an attachment for a spectrometer and installed a wireless video system for spacewalkers' helmet cameras.
The spacewalk was delayed more than an hour by false decompression alarms that sounded late Friday for the second night in a row.
The high-pitched beeps — emanating from a new Russian research chamber — triggered a series of smoke alarms, waking up the astronauts and disrupting spacewalk preparations.
As the astronauts carried out their work, Bresnik's wife, Rebecca, was due to give birth to their second child at any moment in Houston. They also have a three-year-old son, adopted from Ukraine.
However, the baby had yet to arrive by the time the spacewalk ended. It had been agreed that Mission Control would hold off on any news if the birth occurred during the spacewalk so that Bresnik would remain focused on his tasks.
Throughout the spacewalk, Foreman, a veteran spacewalker, had trouble hearing inside his helmet. Bresnik's voice was especially faint.
"I can't understand you," Foreman called out. Bresnik spoke louder. "Still can't," Foreman said. An astronaut inside the space station had to intercede.
Foreman also missed hearing some of the praise coming his way after accomplishing all the major chores.
One more spacewalk is planned on Monday. The shuttle will remain at the station until next Wednesday, with a return to Earth scheduled for Friday.
With files from The Associated PressShare Tools
Top News Headlines
- Online surveillance bill tabled in House
- A bill that is expected to give police and intelligence agencies new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications, sometimes without a warrant, has been tabled in the House of Commons. more »
- Fantino says Canada's F-35 jet purchase 'evolving'
- Canada's minister responsible for military procurement now appears open to adjusting the Defence Department's order for F-35 fighter jets, citing an economic environment "we may not have any control over." more »
- What to get your special someone on Valentine's Day
- For those looking for a last-minute Valentine's Day gift, here are some ideas — from the traditional to the outlandish. more »
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- Within hours of her untimely death, Whitney Houston was fast on her way to becoming a hot commodity, joining the ranks of other famous artists who have achieved the dubious distinction of great commercial success beyond the grave. more »
Latest Technology & Science News Headlines
- Higgs boson hunt aided by energy boost
- The world's largest particle accelerator is ramping up its beam energy in hopes that scientists will learn definitively this year whether the last undiscovered particle in the Standard Model of Physics exists. more »
- Canada dropping the ozone ball, scientists warn
- Leading atmospheric scientists are warning that Canada's cuts to its ozone monitoring program are already having effects on the world's ability to monitor air quality and ozone depletion. more »
- Ban Wi-Fi in classroom, Ontario teachers union urges
- The Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association says computers in all new schools should be hardwired instead of setting up wireless networks, citing safety concerns. more »
- How to think like a Neanderthal
- A lack of creativity and the inability to innovate may have led to the extinction of the Neanderthals, two researchers argue in a book that aims to get inside the Neanderthal mind. more »
Bob McDonald's Blog
Glacier Discovery Walk: Will the visitor centre enhance the view? Feb. 14, 2012 9:22 AM Environment minister Peter Kent has announced the construction of a new Glacier Discovery Walk and visitor centre on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. It raises the issue of how to balance commercial development in our National Parks against the preservation of the last refuges of wilderness.
Quirks & Quarks
- February 11: Inside the Mind of a Neandertal Feb. 10, 2012 4:01 PM Can we get inside the mind of a species that's been dead for 30,000 years? A new book, How to Think Like a Neanderthal, suggests we can. The authors reconstruct a creature like us in many ways, but with important differences.
Latest Features
- Online surveillance critics accused of supporting child porn
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Mooning Queen proves costly for Australian man
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- Man pleads guilty to murder of stepdaughter, 17
- Teen's Facebook post prompts dad to shoot computer

