Endeavour shuttle astronauts Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken work outside the International Space Station during the second spacewalk of the STS-130 mission on Feb. 13 and 14, 2010. Credit: NASA TV.
Two spacewalking astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station late Saturday for a high-flying plumbing job on the orbiting laboratory's newest room.
Endeavour shuttle astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick hooked up four long hoses to the space station's new Tranquility module in order to supply the room with vital liquid ammonia coolant. The spacewalk, the second in three days for the two astronauts, will allow their crewmates to power up the new space room.
The spacewalkers had to be extra careful of any ammonia leaks while tackling the space plumbing job.
The toxic chemical can pose a health risk to astronauts if it is released inside the space station, and Patrick spotted a tiny leak of ammonia while working with the bulky hoses.
Crystals of frozen ammonia bounced off his spacesuit visor and right glove, but didn't appear to stick to his suit, Patrick said. Behnken described the leak as a brief puff of snowflakes.
"It was about the kind of quantity of stuff that you would expect if you didn't empty the straw at the end of your drink bag," Patrick said.
"If you were drinking ammonia," quipped crewmate Stephen Robinson from inside Endeavour as Patrick laughed.
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