1p 11/20 Update: Spacewalk begins

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CBS NEWS STS-126 STATUS REPORT: 41
Posted: 01:00 PM, 11/20/08

By William Harwood
CBS News Space Analyst

Changes and additions:

   SR-39 (11/19/08): Stefanyshyn-Piper expresses remorse for lost tool bag; mission managers optimistic about completing spacewalk chores despite lost tools; water recycling system activation on tap
   SR-40 (11/20/08): Astronauts prepare for second spacewalk; 10th anniversary of space station construction
   SR-41 (11/20/08): Spacewalk begins

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01:00 PM, 11/20/08, Update: Spacewalk begins

Running about 45 minutes ahead of schedule, astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Robert "Shane" Kimbrough, floating in the space station's Quest airlock module, switched their spacesuits to internal battery power at 12:58 p.m. to officially begin a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk.

The goals of today's excursion are to relocate two equipment carts on the front side of the station's solar power truss; to lubricate the capture snares in one end of the lab's robot arm; and to continue cleaning and lubricating the station's damaged right-side solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ.

This is the 116th spacewalk devoted to station assembly and maintenance since construction began 10 years ago today. It is the 17th station spacewalk so far this year and the second of four planned for Endeavour's mission. Going into today's EVA, more than 80 astronauts and cosmonauts had logged 725 hours and 40 minutes of spacewalk construction time.

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Quick-Launch Web Links:

CBS News STS-126 Status Reports:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/current.html

CBS News STS-126 Quick-Look Page:
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/currentglance.html

NASA ISS Expeditions Page:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html

NASA Shuttle Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html
NASA Station Web: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/index.html
Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/index.html
GoogleSatTrack: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/

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