STS-126 Crew Completes First Spacewalk; Lose a Tool Bag

The first STS-126 spacewalk ended at 8:01 PM EST last night. STS-126 mission specialists Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen worked outside the station Tuesday for the first of the mission's four spacewalks. Spending six hours and 52 minutes outside the station, the pair worked on several tasks including removing a depleted nitrogen tank from a stowage platform and moving it into Endeavour's cargo bay then replaving it. They also moved a flex hose rotary coupler from the shuttle to the station stowage platform, as well as removing some insulation blankets from the common berthing mechanism on the Kibo laboratory. Another task included the start of cleaning and lubrication of the starboard solar alpha rotary joint.

According to CBS News, the EVA took a turn for the worse when while starting to clean and lubricate a gummed-up joint on the starboard solar alpha rotary joint, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper had a grease-gun explode inside her tool bag, getting the substance all over her helmet camera and gloves. As she was trying to wipe grease off her gloves, the tool bag slipped from her grip and floated away into space.

This tool bag is not the only thing floating around in space where it shouldn't be. Just earlier in this spacewalk, the pair had spotted a screw floating by but were too far away to retrieve it. "I have no idea where it came from," Stefanyshyn-Piper told Mission Control. MSNBC has a look at other items that have been lost in space.

Meanwhile, inside the station, STS-126 mission specialist Don Pettit and Expedition 18 flight engineer Sandra Magnus operated the station's robotic arm, and mission specialist Shane Kimbrough served as the intravehicular officer, or spacewalk coordinator.

The spacewalk began at 1:09 PM EST and ended at 8:01.

Image Credits: NASA TV