WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Two astronauts of U.S. space shuttle Endeavor's crew stepped out of the International Space Station late Saturday afternoon to do some chores for the orbital outpost, NASA TV reported.

    They entered the void of space at 4:34 p.m. EDT (2034 GMT) on Saturday, beginning the fifth and also the final spacewalk of Endeavor's flight mission.

Astronaut Robert Behnken exits the Quest airlock to begin the fifth spacewalk of the mission in this image from NASA TV March 22, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Their primary goal is to stow an Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) on one of the station's trusses. The specially-designed boom is tipped with sensors and cameras. Every shuttle that has flown since the 2003 Columbia disaster has taken the boom up to the station and used it to inspect shuttle's heat shields. Every time it is taken back to Earth aboard the shuttle.

    But the next mission, slated late May by shuttle Discovery, has nearly no room for the boom. The main part of Japan's Kibo laboratory is too large to take up almost the entire cargo bay. Therefore, NASA decided that the boom will be temporarily stored outside the station. And Discovery crew will use it for heat shield inspection and bring it back to Earth by then.

    Earlier on Saturday, Endeavor's crew performed the final inspection of shuttle's heat shield, preparing for the undocking from the station. Crewmembers surveyed the orbiter's wings and nose cap to ensure that no damage had occurred to the tiles.

    Endeavor, with seven astronauts aboard, was launched on March 11. It delivered a Canadian-built robot named Dextre and the first component of Japan's orbital laboratory Kibo.

    During its stay at the space station, astronauts altogether conducted five spacewalks. Spacewalkers have successfully assembled the robot and attached the lab room to the station.

    If all goes well, Endeavor will leave the station for home on March 24 and land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26. This is NASA's second shuttle flight in 2008. 



Astronauts begin fourth spacewalk outside space station

    WASHINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. astronauts are conducting the fourth spacewalk of shuttle Endeavor's mission to test a heat shield repair method, NASA TV reported on Thursday.

    Spacewalker Robert Behnken and Mike Foreman floated out of the Quest airlock and began their work outside the International Space Station at 6:04 p.m. local time (2204 GMT) on Thursday. Their excursion will last into midnight, said NASA. Full story

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