NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image above: Mission Specialist Randy Bresnik (far left) and the STS-129 and Expedition 21 crews celebrate the birth of his daughter. Photo credit: NASA TV

› Meet the STS-129 Crew

Astronauts Performing Final STS-129 Spacewalk
Mission Specialists Randy Bresnik and Robert Satcher Jr. began their mission's final spacewalk at 8:24 a.m. EST. They will transfer an oxygen filled High Pressure Gas Tank (HPGT) from the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 2, or ELC2, located on the starboard truss, to a spot on the outside of the Quest Airlock. The tank will be used to replenish atmosphere lost when spacewalkers enter and exit the station.

While Satcher is relocating the HPGT, Bresnik will install the seventh Materials International Space Station Experiment, or MISSE 7. This is the most advanced of the MISSE payloads to date and will be the first to receive power directly from the station and use the station’s communication system to send commands and downlink real-time data.

On Sunday, Bresnik told the flight controllers his new daughter, Abigail Mae Bresnik, had been born in Houston at 11:04 p.m. CST Saturday. He said his wife Rebecca and new daughter, 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 20 inches long, were doing well. Bresnik got the news by private phone patch through mission control shortly after the crew was awakened.

› View video of announcement
› Read the Pre-flight Interview with Randy and Rebecca Bresnik

STS-129 Additional Resources
› STS-129 Mission Overview
› STS-129 Press Kit (15.5 Mb PDF)
› Mission Summary (518 kb PDF)
› More about STS-129 Crew
› Remaining Shuttle Missions (730Kb)

Orbiter Status
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