Astronauts Begin Installing Space Veranda

By the Associated Press

Posted Jul 18, 2009 2:55 PM CDT

(AP) – Two astronauts ventured out on the first spacewalk of shuttle Endeavour's space station visit today to help install a porch on Japan's expansive lab. Veteran spaceman David Wolf and rookie Timothy Kopra got straight to work as they floated out the hatch, 220 miles above the Earth. But their voices could hardly be understood at times because of loud static, caused by their helmet microphones.

Remaining inside the linked shuttle and international space station were 11 astronauts, a full house. The station population swelled to a record 13 when Endeavour arrived Friday for an 11-day stay. The two crews teamed up for today's big event, the attachment of a large veranda to Japan's $1 billion lab for outdoor experiments. It's the third and final section of the lab, the largest one at the space station, and it flew up aboard Endeavour.

[Images (8)]

[Videos (1)]

Astronauts Timothy Kopra, left, shakes hands with Koichi Wakata, of Japan, inside the international space station after space shuttle Endeavour docked with the station Friday, July 17, 2009. ((AP Photo/NASA TV))

Astronaut Tim Kopra, STS-127 mission specialist, works among stowage containers on the mid deck of space shuttle Endeavour during flight day two activities, Thursday, July 16, 2009. ((AP Photo/NASA))

In this image rendered from video and released by NASA, space shuttle Endeavour is shown after docking with the international space station Friday, July 17, 2009. ((AP Photo/NASA TV))

Astronaut Tom Marshburn, STS-127 mission specialist, looks through an overhead window on the aft flight deck of space shuttle Endeavour during flight day two activities, Thursday, July 16, 2009. ((AP Photo/NASA))

A partial view of space shuttle Endeavour is featured in this image photographed by a STS-127 crew member from an aft flight deck window, Thursday, July 16, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this image taken from video and provided by NASA, astronaut David Wolf works during a space walk on the international space station, Saturday, July 18, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this image taken from video and provided by NASA, a robotic arm lifts a platform out of the space shuttle Endeavor, Saturday, July 18, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this image taken from video and provided by NASA, astronaut Timothy Kopra, center left, works during a space walk on Japan's space station lab, Saturday, July 18, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA)

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