Atlantis Astronauts Spend Weekend Repairing International Space Station
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Atlantis astronauts, well, they share the "mister fix it" award this morning, walking in space 200 miles high, patching, repairing and replacing parts of the International Space Station. A lot of work has been done already, but there is more to do, as our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, reports.</s>MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the fifth space walk outside the International Space Station, astronauts Jeff Williams and Jim Voss ran through their "to do" list consistently ahead of schedule.</s>JIM VOSS, ATLANTIS ASTRONAUT: OK, Jeff, you've got it.</s>JEFF WILLIAMS, ATLANTIS ASTRONAUT: OK, can you rotate it around to -- the other way, the other way.</s>VOSS: The other way.</s>WILLIAMS: OK, look out for my safety tether.</s>O'BRIEN: Their first task, re-seating a wobbly U.S. crane, went off without a hitch. NASA was worried the crane might pose a hazard when the Russian-built crew quarters docks with the station, now promised for mid-July.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not loose anymore.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, gentlemen, very good job done.</s>O'BRIEN: The space workers then assembled and relocated a Russian crane. It will be used by future weightless hardhats during the 5 1/2 years of construction that lies ahead before the million- pound, football field-long outpost is slated for completion.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just knew I'd end up having to do this in the dark.</s>O'BRIEN: Then it was back to repair work. They replaced a bulky antennae on a system that provides a direct communication link between the station and Mission Control in Houston.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I confirm that I'm tethered to it and I'm going to release the antennae.</s>O'BRIEN: And then, finally, they attached eight handrails to aid future high-flying hardhats.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The one I've already installed, it's in the wrong place.</s>O'BRIEN: Guided from the flight deck by choreographer Scott Horowitz and robotic arm operator Mary Ellen Webber, the pair made it look easy, breezing through task after task.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going perfect the way you're doing that.</s>O'BRIEN: It was the 85th spacewalk in NASA's history. To complete the station, U.S. spacewalkers will punch the clock for at least 960 hours of weightless work in the void, giving new meaning to the word overtime.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's true, I haven't found a vending machine yet, but the food and lodging is free.</s>O'BRIEN: With the exterior work done, the crew now shifts to the main event of this mission. Tonight, shortly after 8:00 Eastern time, the astronauts will start opening the hatches and they're float over the portals of the fledging space station. Their first order of business: the replacement of four dead or dying batteries in the Russian segment of the station. Also this week, they will start toting in about 3,000 pounds of gear for future station keepers, and they will work on a couple of other problem: excessive noise and poor air circulation inside that Russian module. Lot's to do.</s>LIN: A lot of work to do. Boy. Well, I'm waiting for the main event, for a permanent crew to finally be on board. How far behind is it on schedule?</s>O'BRIEN: Well, you're going to have to wait about 5 1/2 years right now. It's about two years behind schedule. The keystone, right now, and the corner stone is the Russian-built service module, which will be the early living quarters for the vanguard crews. It is now two years behind schedule, scheduled for launch in July, the Russians say. But NASA is taking a "wait and see" approach, we'll say.</s>LIN: Wouldn't you love to be on board.</s>O'BRIEN: I would like that ride. That would be some assignment, wouldn't it?</s>LIN: Still have that chance. All right, thank you so much, Miles O'Brien, for staying up all night and watching the action.</s>O'BRIEN: Thanks.