Astronauts Complete First Spacewalk

(NASA) – Mission Specialist Danny Olivas and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Nicole Stott completed the first spacewalk of the STS-128 mission at 12:24 a.m. EDT Wednesday. The astronauts began the spacewalk at 5:49 p.m. Tuesday.

During the spacewalk, shuttle Commander Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialist Pat Forrester guided the spacewalkers through the procedures. Pilot Kevin Ford and Flight Engineer Bob Thirsk operated the station’s robotic arm.

Astronauts Danny Olivas and Nicole Stott exit the Quest airlock to begin the first spacewalk of the STS-128 mission. Credit: NASA TV

Meanwhile, mission specialists Jose Hernandez, Tim Kopra and Christer Fuglesang and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt continued unloading the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. The crew got a head-start on unpacking Monday, and plans to transfer an air revitalization system, a new crew quarters compartment and the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT).