NASA plans two ISS spacewalks next week

HOUSTON, July 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has detailed the activities to be included during two International Space Station cosmonauts' spacewalks next week.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Expedition 17 Russian cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko will conduct the first spacewalk July 10 from the Pirs docking compartment's airlock.

As part of the inquiry into ballistic landings by the last two Soyuz return spacecraft, Volkov and Kononenko will inspect their Soyuz vehicle and remove one of the pyrotechnic bolts used to connect two of the spacecraft's sections, NASA controllers in Houston said. They also will install a docking target for a new Russian module scheduled for launch late next summer.

During the second spacewalk July 15, Volkov and Kononenko will attach additional docking equipment and experiments to the hull of the Zvezda service module.

A mission status briefing to preview both spacewalks will be broadcast on NASA TV beginning at noon EDT next Tuesday from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Both spacewalks are also to be telecast by NASA-TV.

NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information is available at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.