Posted: Fri, May 21, 2004, 8:45 AM ET (1245 GMT)
Problems have plagued efforts by the crew of the ISS to prepare for a repair spacewalk, suggesting that next month's EVA may be delayed. An EVA rehearsal on Wednesday was interrupted and eventually cancelled when Gennady Padalka and Michael Fincke ran into separate problems with their US-built spacesuits. While the problems with the cooling system on Fincke's spacesuit was eventually resolved, but could not get the cooling system in Padalka's suit to work. MSNBC reported earlier in the week that the astronauts ran into several other problems preparing for the spacewalk, including failed batteries in a power tool needed for the EVA. The spacewalk, scheduled for June 10, is needed to repair one of the station's gyros that provide attitude control. The crew plans to use the US spacesuits because the Quest airlock is near where the gyros are located. Russian spacesuits are also available, but this would require operating from the more distant Pirs airlock module on the station.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  MSNBC article