Astronauts begin second spacewalk

Posted on: Aug. 1st, 2005 || Source: cnn.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Discovery astronauts Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi have begun the second spacewalk of the shuttle mission, as NASA officials on Earth debate what to do about two pieces of gap-filling material protruding from the craft's underside.

During Monday's spacewalk, Robinson and Noguchi will replace a faulty gyroscope on the international space station.

On the protrusions issue, NASA officials say they will likely decide Monday what -- if anything -- to do about them.

The belly of the shuttle is lined with thousands of ceramic tiles separated by thousands of ceramic-coated, fabric gap fillers. Their uneven placement can lead to temperature increases upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

A number of prior flights were found, after they landed, to have had such protrusions.

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