Work continues on ISS construction

HOUSTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Space shuttle astronauts completed a more than 7-hour spacewalk Wednesday working on an addition to the International Space Station.

Mission specialists Dan Burbank and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Steve MacLean prepared the ISS's newly installed 17.5-ton truss for operation. The truss will provide power, data and communication services for the space station, officials at NASA Mission Control in Houston said.

Burbank and MacLean completed all their scheduled spacewalk activities, including removal of launch locks and restraints on the rotary joint that will allow solar arrays to track the sun.

Just like the pair of astronauts on Tuesday's space walk, Wednesday's space walkers lost a bolt from a piece of equipment they were working on. NASA also said a tool being used on the space walk broke but astronauts were able to work around the problem.

The ISS crew spent the day Wednesday transferring cargo between the space shuttle and the station, NASA said.

Thursday's schedule calls for the astronauts to unfurl the 240-foot-long solar arrays along the truss. The panels will double the space station's power capabilities.