14 DAY TRIAL // In what was probably one of the most remarkable extra-vehicular activities (EVA) ever, astronauts managed to secure the new NASA module Tranquility to the International Space Station (ISS). They also mounted the window-laden Cupola observation dome, which promises to give those working on the orbital lab the best possible view of the Earth. The spacewalkers that stepped out into space to conduct external work on the new module were as far as one hour ahead of schedule at some points in their mission, which is uncommon for spacewalks, Space reports.
In fact, many an EVA were concluded without some of the tasks alloted to them completed. But this was not the case last night, when NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick, who flew aboard space shuttle Endeavor, raced through their appointed task with so much ease that the Mission Control at one point had to instruct them to refill their oxygen tanks. NASA reports that they worked so fast that they even outpaced their colleagues inside the ISS, who were using the station's robotic arms to maneuver Tranquility and the Cupola from the shuttle's cargo bay to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.
In charge of the robotic-arm operations were NASA astronauts Kathryn Hire and Terry Virts, who did a remarkable job at seamlessly joining Unity and Tranquility. While they did that, their two colleagues outside the station spent their free time performing other tasks, or simply taking pictures of the planet. “You guys are really eating it up,” shuttle commander George Zamka said as a praise. While most members of the 11-astronaut crew currently in orbit were busy with the new module and observation chamber, the rest managed to repair the station's urine recycling system, which now guarantees that astronauts will have larger reserves of pure water at their disposal.
In addition to actually connecting the ISS to its new component, the spacewalkers also had to route power and data cables between the two, while at the same time installing some of the equipment they would use during the next two EVAs of the mission. In addition, they also removed a tool platform that had outlived its usefulness, which was installed on the Dextre maintenance robot. On Saturday, during the second spacewalk, the two astronauts will finally stitch up the liquid ammonia cooling hoses connecting the module to the station. During the third EVA, all other remaining tasks will be tackled as well, and NASA hopes to have a fully functional, new room until Endeavor departs the lab.