Spacewalk Preps for Crews

The Expedition 21 and STS-129 crews were busy Friday with preparations for the second spacewalk of Atlantis’ visit to the International Space Station and the transfer of material between the spacecraft. They also tackled various maintenance, troubleshooting and science activities.

Mission Spacialists Mike Foreman and Randy Bresnik, the Saturday spacewalkers, prepared spacesuits and configured tools for their excursion. Both crews spent an hour shortly before bedtime reviewing spacewalk procedures. The spacewalk is set to begin at 8:18 a.m. EST Saturday.

The movement of materials between Atlantis and the station continued to go well Friday. Well over half the mission’s transfer activities have been completed.

The STS-129 mission is focused on the storage of spare hardware on the exterior of the station. The 11-day flight includes three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

ISS Mission Information