NASA astronauts complete spacewalk outside ISS
Update, 11:25 a.m. Monday:
Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra completed today's spacewalk at 11:01 a.m. ET, for a total duration of three hours and 16 minutes.
The pair successfully helped latch a rail car into place before a Russian cargo spacecraft docks at the International Space Station early Wednesday.
They proceeded to route a series of cables and retrieved tools for future use.
Update, 8:20 a.m. Monday:
Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra began their spacewalk at 7:45 a.m. and have already helped move a stuck rail car the four inches it needed to slide to reach a latching point.
"That's one small step for a Mobile Transporter," said NASA TV commentator Rob Navias.
With their primary objective completed well ahead of schedule, the spacewalkers will move on to additional tasks including work with cables that will support a docking port for future commercial crew capsules.
Russia's Progress cargo ship launched from Kazakhstan as planned early this morning, at 3:44 a.m. EST, and safely reached orbit to begin a two-day journey to the ISS.
Today's spacewalk was ordered to ensure that the Mobile Transporter is latched securely before the Progress docks at the station.
Earlier:
A pair of NASA astronauts on Monday morning plan to exit the International Space Station in an effort to secure a rail car that is stuck in the wrong place.
The Mobile Transporter, which is holding the station's 58-foot robotic arm and other equipment, last week stopped rolling on rails just four inches from a work site near the center of the station orbiting 250 miles up.
NASA and its partners want the transporter locked down before the planned Wednesday morning arrival of a Russian Progress resupply ship, which will require the station to maneuver into position and then absorb the force of the docking Progress vehicle.
Scott Kelly, the Expedition 46 commander, and Tim Kopra, who just arrived at the station last week, are expected to begin a minimum three-hour spacewalk around 8:10 a.m.
Watch it live on NASA TV.
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Kelly will be the lead spacewalker and wear a suit with red stripes. Kopra will wear an all-white suit.
The spacewalk will be Kelly's third since he began a yearlong mission in March, and the second of Kopra's career. It will be the 191st supporting assembly and maintenance of the orbiting research laboratory.
The latching of the Mobile Transporter is not expected to present much difficulty. If it is done quickly, the two astronauts will tackle additional tasks.
Launch of the Progress cargo ship is scheduled for 3:44 a.m. EST on Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and also can be seen on NASA TV.
Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 orjdean@floridatoday.com.And follow on Twitter at@flatoday_jdeanand on Facebook atfacebook.com/jamesdeanspace.