On Saturday, astronauts aboard the NASA space shuttle Atlantis, and the International Space Station (ISS) raced through the second spacewalk planned for the STS-129 assembly flight. In fact, they went about their businesses so well, that they managed to even squeeze in a few jobs that were originally scheduled to be performed in the third extra-vehicular activity (EVA). The blitz-spacewalk was performed by veteran spacewalker Mike Foreman, together with rookie flier Randy Bresnik. The entire exterior activity lasted for less than six hours, Space reports.

“Today was fantastic. We got everything we wanted to get done accomplished, and a few more things as well,” Brian Smith, who is the NASA lead flight director for the new mission, said in a briefing after the EVA's conclusion. The highlights of the spacewalk were the maintenance work on the orbital station, as well as the manipulation and installation of two cargo-stowage fixtures on the facility's outer hull. “Other than seeing my wife for the first time, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sight,” Bresnik added, as he stepped out of the ISS, and saw the Earth stretching under his feet.

As the first-time spacewalker was performing his duties in space, his wife was entering labor for the birth of their second child, a baby girl. Bresnik decided to request that the Mission Control withheld any news of how things were going, so that he could concentrate on the tasks at hand. As a former Marine Corps fighter pilot, he said that he had the ability to compartmentalize, and to clear his mind for the second STS-129 EVA. “He absolutely stayed 100 percent focused. You can just look at the results of the spacewalk. The Bresnik launch countdown clock has got some unpredictable and variable holds in it. We certainly wish them all the best and hope that soon their baby is born,” Smith shared.

After the successful spacewalk, the astronauts had a day off on Sunday, during which time Bresnik and his colleagues were overjoyed at the announcement that the astronaut's daughter had finally been born. “I just wanted to take this opportunity to report some good news. At 11:04 pm last night, Abigail Mae Bresnik joined the NASA family,” he radioed the Mission Control from orbit. With all the day spent in excitement, the joint crew in orbit is currently getting ready to perform the mission's third EVA, which is scheduled to take place today, Space informs.