spacetoday.net: Dextre assembled during EVA

Posted: Sun, Mar 16, 2008, 9:01 AM ET (1301 GMT)
STS-123: EVA #2 (NASA)

Spacewalking astronauts attached the arms for the Dextre remote manipulator during a seven-hour spacewalk Saturday night. STS-123 astronauts Richard Linnehan and Mike Foreman spent seven hours and eight minutes outside the ISS on an EVA that ended at 2:57 am EDT (0657 GMT). The primary purpose of the EVA was to assemble the Canadian-built Dextre manipulator, adding two arms to the device. The astronauts fell behind during the EVA at one point, struggling with a set of stuck bolts that held the arms in place on a pallet. The astronauts were able to pry the bolts loose and proceed with the EVA, completing the assembly of the two arms. The spacewalk took place after engineers worked around a problem powering up Dextre by routing power to it from Canadarm2, the station's robotic arm. Three more EVAs are planned for the remainder of Endeavour's stay at the ISS to complete the outfitting of Dextre and perform other work on the station.