SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Spacewalkers Successfully Retract Antenna*

Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria works to retract the ISS Progress 23 antenna during the spacewalk on Feb. 22. Image credit: NASA TV

TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Station Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin and Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria opened the airlock of the Pirs docking compartment at 5:27 a.m. EST to begin their spacewalk and have successfully retracted and secured the balky antenna of the ISS Progress 23 cargo craft. The antenna did not fully retract before the spacecraft docked Oct. 26. They are also checking navigation systems in preparation for the summer docking of a European cargo craft known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle.

Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are conducting their increment’s fifth spacewalk – a record for station crews.

+ Read more about the Feb. 22 spacewalk http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/exp14_eva17.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html