Posted: Mon, Dec 3, 2001, 10:01 PM ET (0301 GMT)
Two cosmonauts quickly completed a contingency spacewalk Monday, allowing a Progress spacecraft to securely dock with the International Space Station and clearing the way for a shuttle launch Tuesday. Cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Turin needed to spend just two hours and 46 minutes outside the station Monday morning, about half the time originally expected, to get the Progress M1-7 spacecraft to properly dock with the station. The cosmonauts discovered that a rubber o-ring left behind by the last Progress that docked with the station was preventing this Progress from securely docking with the station. The cosmonauts removed the o-ring with a cutting tool, allowing the Progress to become "hard docked" to the station. With the Progress secured, NASA shuttle managers decided late Monday to move ahead with plans to launch the shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-108 at 5:45 pm EST (2245 GMT) Tuesday. Launch preparations will continue as planned despite a new high security alert issued by the federal government late Monday, citing reports of possible terrorist threats against the US.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  SPACE.com article