Space Station Water Recycler Not Right; Astronauts Face 7-Hour Spacewalk

November 22, 2008 6:13 a.m. EST

Cape Canaveral, FL (AHN) - NASA astronauts have a seven-hour space walk Saturday to clean and lubricate the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, it is the third space walk of their mission, NASA officials said.

Mission specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowenand will also replace some of the bearing assemblies on the Joint while they are at it.

NASA on Friday said that there were still problems with the new Water Recovery System that uses the Urine Processor Assembly. The device is designed to give astronauts aboard the International Space Station a renewable fresh water supply system.

During initial tests of the system on Thursday and Friday morning, the system had to be shut down as engineers continue to assess the information from sensors within the system. Their seems to be a problem with the way the motor is operating.

The $250 million recycler reclaims water from urine using condensate extracted from the atmosphere of the space station.