Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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March 22, 2009

Astronauts Complete their Second Space Walk
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Space walk is one of three that astronauts from the space shuttle
Discovery are conducting during their 13-day mission to the station 
      Watch VOA Webcast Interactive with the Astronauts

The space walk is one of three that astronauts from the space shuttle
Discovery are conducting during their 13-day mission to the station. The
job requires astronauts Steven Swanson and Joseph Acaba to float outside
the station for nearly seven hours.

       Astronauts Joseph Acaba (left) and Tony Antonelli on the aft
flight deck of space shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities,
17 Mar 2009 (NASA)Meantime, astronauts inside the station are working to
replace a system designed to recycle urine into water for use aboard the
station. All the improvements will prepare for the transition from three
to six astronauts living on the station later this year. Japanese Koichi
Wakata arrived at the station aboard Discovery, as part of the mission
known as STS-119, and will spend the next few months in orbit. In an
interview with VOA, Wakata said there is a lot of information to absorb
after arriving at the station. "We have been very busy in the assembly
task of the STS-119. It is like drinking water from a fire hose. I am
still learning a lot but I am enjoying every moment," Wakata said.
Wakata replaces Sandy Magnus who has spent the past four months in
space. Magnus told VOA that living in orbit has given her newfound
appreciation for the Earth. "It looks very fragile from here and it is
very easy to take it for granted when we live on it, because it seems so
big and massive," Magnus said. "But it is not, it is very small and very
fragile. That is something that really hits home when you see it out the
window from up here." Magnus and the crew of Discovery will return to
Earth next week after wrapping up their work on the space station.

 


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