[sarex] Astronauts End Final STS-118 Spacewalk

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Astronauts End Final STS-118 Spacewalk; Hatches to Close Later Today*

Hurricane DeanImage above: Hurricane Dean swirls in the Caribbean Sea as 
Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station pass 
overhead during STS-118's fourth spacewalk. Image: NASA TV
TO VIEW IMAGE GO 
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Spacewalkers successfully completed STS-118’s final spacewalk at 2:19 
p.m. EDT(1819 UTC). The STS-118 and Expedition 15 crews have turned 
their full attention to preparing for today's hatch closure.

Overnight, mission managers decided to shorten the originally planned 
6.5-hour spacewalk so that the crews can close the hatches about 5 
p.m2100 UTC). That plan preserves the option to have Endeavour undock 
from the station on Sunday and prepare for a landing on Tuesday. The 
earlier landing is being considered in the event Hurricane Dean 
threatens the Houston area. It could allow an opportunity for the 
shuttle to land before Mission Control, Houston, would be shut down in 
preparation for a storm.

However, managers will review the forecast for Dean and mission 
activities this afternoon during their daily meeting and assess their 
options.

Mission Specialist Dave Williams and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson began 
the spacewalk at 9:17 a.m. They installed a stand for the shuttle’s 
robotic arm extension boom on the station’s truss structure, installed 
an External Wireless Instrumentation System antenna and retrieved of two 
containers of the Materials ISS Experiment. They also had a chance to 
look down at the hurricane as it swirled in the Caribbean Sea.

Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell coordinated the spacewalk, a role that 
she had for all four STS-118 spacewalks.

*Hurricane Dean Information*
On-orbit Hurricane Dean Video: + Real Video 
<http://mfile.akamai.com/18565/rm/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/real.nasa-global/STS-118/Hurricane_Dean.ram> 
| + Windows Media 
<http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/STS-118/Hurricane_Dean.asx>
+ NASA Hurricane Resource Page 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/main/index.html>