Endeavour astronauts complete final spacewalk

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette (C) talks during a news conference with all thirteen members of the joint crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station in this image from NASA TV July 26, 2009. The astronauts are (front row, L-R) Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky, Station Commander cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and Dave Wolf, on the second row are Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne on the third row are Michael Barratt, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Koichi Wakata, Payette, Tom Marshburn and back row, cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, Christopher Cassidy, Pilot Doug Hurley and Tim Kopra.

WASHINGTON, July 27 -- Two astronauts on Monday completed the fifth and final spacewalk during U.S. space shuttle Endeavour's docking with the International Space Station (ISS), installing two cameras on Japan's Kibo laboratory, NASA said.

The spacewalk, conducted by Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn, lasted four hours and 54 minutes. The cameras they installed will provide views to help with rendezvous and berthing of Japan's H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) -- an uninhabited resupply cargo ship for the space station. The HTV is scheduled to make its first deliveries to the station in September.

The spacewalk also included an electrical cable swap and adjustment of insulation blankets on the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. The spacewalkers also performed a number of "get ahead" tasks, including tying down some cables and installing handrails and a portable foot restraint to aid future spacewalkers.

The deployment of the Payload Attach System on the Starboard 3 truss was deferred to another spacewalk sometime in the future.

Endeavour lifts off on July 15 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida after five delays, on a track to the ISS. The shuttle will undock from the space station on Tuesday. Landing is set for July 31. Its mission featured five spacewalks and completed construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts also replaced six batteries for the ISS.
(Xinhua)