2 Astronauts Venture Out for 2nd Spacewalk

Two of space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts ventured outside early today for another spacewalk in subzero temperatures, this one even colder than the first.

Winston Scott and Leroy Chiao were eager to see how well heated gloves and boots and other newly modified thermal gear would protect them in the frigid void. Astronauts will need such gear once they start assembling the space station in 1997.

Scott was to stand motionless on a cradle for a half-hour in the shadow of the shuttle as Endeavour flew in the coldest possible position nearly 200 miles high.

“We’re really going to push the limits of the suit,” said Dr. Daniel Barry, who performed the first spacewalk of the mission Monday.

NASA expected the mercury to plunge to minus 100, or 25 degrees colder than it was Monday.

The astronauts fell behind in their work Tuesday night, and so the spacewalk began an hour late.

Before focusing on Wednesday’s six-hour spacewalk, Endeavour’s six astronauts had to capture a gleaming NASA science satellite that they released two days earlier.

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata used the shuttle robot arm Tuesday to grab the $10-million satellite, which was loaded with laser, spacecraft contamination and amateur radio experiments.

Endeavour is supposed to return to Earth on Saturday, nine days after liftoff, provided a critical cooling system on the shuttle can be unclogged. Otherwise, the shuttle may be have to land on Friday.