Astronauts Conduct Second Spacewalk, Continue Repairs On Space Station

Cape Canaveral, FL (AHN) - Two astronauts of the Space Shuttle Endeavour are back spacewalking on Thursday to continue repairs on the faulty solar panel of the International Space Station (ISS).

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough will clean, lubricate and replace the bearings on the joint of the ISS's right solar wings to make it move properly again. The solar wings could not get enough sunlight to produce power for the ISS September 2007 because parts of the joint had ground together producing metal shavings that gummed up the metal.

Also, the astronauts are moving a pair of rail carts to make way for planned construction work in February and lubricating the bearings for the snares of the space station's robot arm. The chores will take 6.5 hours to complete.

On Tuesday, Stefanyshyn-Piper lost a $100,000 tool bag in space when it slipped away from her while she and Stephen Bowen started repairs on the solar wings joint. She and Kimbrough will have to make do with the remaining tools they have.