Astronauts on spacewalk

MOSCOW – Two astronauts began a spacewalk yesterday that aims to pave the way for the European Space Agency to send its first cargo craft to the International Space Station (ISS), Russian mission control said.

Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and US astronaut Michael Fincke, both stationed on the station since April, will install equipment necessary for the new European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to dock. The spacewalk will leave the station unmanned for six hours.”The hatch was opened at 6h58 and the cosmonauts are in the process of going out,” a mission control spokesman said.”They have two main tasks – one is to work on scientific apparatus installed on the outside of the module and the second is to prepare it for the upcoming docking of the European cargo ship.”The first ATV, named the Jules Verne, is due to be launched next year and will provide a welcome helping hand as Russia struggles with the burden of being the sole lifeline to the station while US space shuttles remain grounded.Russia has launched all manned and cargo ships to the orbital platform since February 2003, when the Columbia shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, killing the seven crew aboard and prompting NASA to withdraw the remaining fleet from service.- Nampa-ReutersThe spacewalk will leave the station unmanned for six hours.”The hatch was opened at 6h58 and the cosmonauts are in the process of going out,” a mission control spokesman said.”They have two main tasks – one is to work on scientific apparatus installed on the outside of the module and the second is to prepare it for the upcoming docking of the European cargo ship.”The first ATV, named the Jules Verne, is due to be launched next year and will provide a welcome helping hand as Russia struggles with the burden of being the sole lifeline to the station while US space shuttles remain grounded.Russia has launched all manned and cargo ships to the orbital platform since February 2003, when the Columbia shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, killing the seven crew aboard and prompting NASA to withdraw the remaining fleet from service.- Nampa-Reuters