HOUSTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- NASA mission specialists Joe Tanner and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper have wrapped up STS-115's first spacewalk after working on the International Space Station.
Their efforts centered on preparing the 35,000-pound P3/P4 truss for operation, NASA said. The new truss was installed Tuesday before the spacewalk. The construction efforts marked the resumption of International Space Station construction.
The spacewalking astronauts began their excursion at 6:17 a.m. EDT and installed power and data cables between the P1 and P3/P4 structures in preparation for solar array deployment. They also released launch restraints on the Solar Array Blanket Box and performed other tasks to configure the structure for upcoming activities. The spacewalk ended about 5 1/2 hours later.
When operational, the truss structure -- including its 240-foot-long solar arrays, batteries and other electronics -- will double the space station's power capability.
Tuesday's spacewalk work proceeded so quickly, flight controllers at NASA Mission Control in Houston gave the astronauts permission to complete tasks that had been scheduled for future spacewalks.
The astronauts are scheduled to initiate the mission's second spacewalk at 5:15 a.m. EDT Wednesday.
