Spacewalking astronauts begin assembling robot
(Updates with quotes, trouble during spacewalk)
By Irene Klotz
HOUSTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A pair of space shuttle astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Saturday to assemble a mechanical maintenance man while crewmates set up equipment inside the first piece of Japan's newly arrived space laboratory.
Veteran astronaut Richard Linnehan and rookie partner Michael Foreman left the station's airlock just after 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) to begin the second of five spacewalks planned during the shuttle Endeavour's 16-day spaceflight.
"Wow, what an awesome view," Foreman, making his first spacewalk, said as he floated out, more than 200 miles above Earth over China.
The shuttle arrived at the orbital outpost on Wednesday for a 12-day construction and maintenance mission, the second of five visits to the space station NASA plans this year.
A sixth shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is also scheduled for late summer.
Putting 11-foot (3.4-metre) arms on the Canadian-built robot, dubbed Dextre, will take Saturday's entire seven-hour spacewalk, said space station flight director Ginger Kerrick.
The $209 million robot will officially come to life at the end of a third spacewalk on Monday.
The work wasn't easy. Grunting and groaning, Linnehan wrestled to free the first arm from its restraining straps so it could be attached to the robot.
"We might have to get medieval on Mr. Dexter," a frustrated Linnehan joked.
After nearly an hour, the first arm was released with the help of a pry bar and a lot of muscle.
"That was quite a workout," Linnehan said. "Like doing a chin up with one hand."
During an in-flight interview earlier Saturday, newly arrived space station crewmember Garrett Reisman said that when the robot was all put together it would resemble a person.
"He's really pretty big -- he dwarfs us out there in our spacesuits," said Reisman.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing him come to life."
The 12-foot (3.7-metre)-tall robot can be mounted on the station's crane to transport equipment and handle routine maintenance chores, such as replacing electronics boxes.
"He was designed to do basically the same things that we do on a spacewalk," Reisman said. "He'll be able to carry the big, bulky stuff that's really hard for us to lug around and be a tremendous assistant to us."
During the first spacewalk, Reisman and Linnehan prepared the storage room of Japan's Kibo complex for attachment to the space station, which took place early on Friday.
Station commander Peggy Whitson and Japan's Takao Doi, one of the shuttle Endeavour astronauts, opened the hatch to the new lab Friday evening, ushering Japan into the 15-nation space station partnership. The main lab is due to arrive in May.
NASA has two years remaining to complete construction of the $100 billion project and retire its three-ship shuttle fleet. Ten more assembly and resupply missions are planned. (Editing by Jim Loney and Todd Eastham)
By Irene Klotz
HOUSTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A pair of space shuttle astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Saturday to assemble a mechanical maintenance man while crewmates set up equipment inside the first piece of Japan's newly arrived space laboratory.
Veteran astronaut Richard Linnehan and rookie partner Michael Foreman left the station's airlock just after 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) to begin the second of five spacewalks planned during the shuttle Endeavour's 16-day spaceflight.
"Wow, what an awesome view," Foreman, making his first spacewalk, said as he floated out, more than 200 miles above Earth over China.
The shuttle arrived at the orbital outpost on Wednesday for a 12-day construction and maintenance mission, the second of five visits to the space station NASA plans this year.
A sixth shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is also scheduled for late summer.
Putting 11-foot (3.4-metre) arms on the Canadian-built robot, dubbed Dextre, will take Saturday's entire seven-hour spacewalk, said space station flight director Ginger Kerrick.
The $209 million robot will officially come to life at the end of a third spacewalk on Monday.
The work wasn't easy. Grunting and groaning, Linnehan wrestled to free the first arm from its restraining straps so it could be attached to the robot.
"We might have to get medieval on Mr. Dexter," a frustrated Linnehan joked.
After nearly an hour, the first arm was released with the help of a pry bar and a lot of muscle.
"That was quite a workout," Linnehan said. "Like doing a chin up with one hand."
During an in-flight interview earlier Saturday, newly arrived space station crewmember Garrett Reisman said that when the robot was all put together it would resemble a person.
"He's really pretty big -- he dwarfs us out there in our spacesuits," said Reisman.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing him come to life."
The 12-foot (3.7-metre)-tall robot can be mounted on the station's crane to transport equipment and handle routine maintenance chores, such as replacing electronics boxes.
"He was designed to do basically the same things that we do on a spacewalk," Reisman said. "He'll be able to carry the big, bulky stuff that's really hard for us to lug around and be a tremendous assistant to us."
During the first spacewalk, Reisman and Linnehan prepared the storage room of Japan's Kibo complex for attachment to the space station, which took place early on Friday.
Station commander Peggy Whitson and Japan's Takao Doi, one of the shuttle Endeavour astronauts, opened the hatch to the new lab Friday evening, ushering Japan into the 15-nation space station partnership. The main lab is due to arrive in May.
NASA has two years remaining to complete construction of the $100 billion project and retire its three-ship shuttle fleet. Ten more assembly and resupply missions are planned. (Editing by Jim Loney and Todd Eastham)
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