Bowen, Drew Conducting First STS-133 Spacewalk

Alvin Drew is the 200th human to perform a spacewalk, his first. This is Steve Bowen’s sixth spacewalk. The first STS-133 spacewalk began at 10:46 a.m. EST.

Bowen, EV-1, is the lead spacewalker and is wearing a suit with red stripes, while Drew, EV-2, wears an all-white spacesuit. Bowen’s helmet camera displays the number 19 and Drew’s the number 20.

Bowen and Drew will install the J612 power extension cable in preparation for Tuesday’s attachment of the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the Unity node. Next, they will move an 800 pound failed pump module to External Stowage Platform 2 on the outside of the Quest airlock, where it will remain until it can be returned to Earth at a future time. They will install a camera wedge on the right hand truss segment to give the camera added clearance now that Express Logistics Carrier-4 is attached to the station. After that, they will move further down the right hand truss to the solar alpha rotary joint where they will affix two extensions to the station’s mobile transporter track, which will allow the transporter to travel the entire track length with the Crew Equipment Translation Aid cart and still reach all of the many worksites. They also will open and fill a metal cylinder with the vacuum of space, part of a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency activity called “Message in a Bottle.” The bottle will be returned to Earth for public display.

Discovery Mission Specialist Nicole Stott is inside the International Space Station, choreographing the activities and coordinating communications between the spacewalkers and Mission Control in Houston. Station Commander Scott Kelly and Discovery Mission Specialist Mike Barratt will operate the station’s 58-foot long robotic arm to maneuver the pump module and other hardware during the spacewalk.

This is the 154th spacewalk supporting assembly and maintenance of the space station and the 234th excursion conducted by U.S. astronauts.