By DPA
Washington : NASA ended a spacewalk earlier than planned as a precaution after an astronaut’s glove was damaged.
US astronaut Rick Mastracchio noticed damage to the outer layer of his spacesuit’s glove during a routine equipment check and NASA rules required him to return to the International Space Station around 19.00 GMT Wednesday.
Despite the interruption, Mastracchio and Clay Anderson were able to complete most of the spacewalk’s planned tasks.
They moved an antenna and conducted other operations to upgrade the ISS communications system. They also prepared one of the station’s trusses to be moved to make way for a new solar panel on a later mission. The early conclusion only prevented them from retrieving two science experiments that had been stored on the outside of the ISS.
Mastracchio, an Endeavour crew member, and Clay Anderson, who has been aboard the ISS since June, began the spacewalk at 14.37 GMT Wednesday. It was to have lasted six-and-a-half hours.
A decision was also expected on whether NASA would attempt to repair damage to the Endeavour’s heat shield. Debris ripped a gash in a heat tile on the underside of the shuttle during takeoff. Shuttle manager John Shannon said Tuesday the agency was optimistic that no repair would be necessary.
A repair could be conducted on a spacewalk planned for Friday. Though NASA said there is no danger for the crew from the tiles, officials are concerned that the 7.5 cm rip could grow and require repairs on the ground that would delay future missions.
Damage to the Space Shuttle Columbia’s heat shield caused it to explode on re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere, killing all on board.