Endeavour's STS-126 mission to the ISS has been extended by one day so crew can "continue troubleshooting" the orbiting outpost's new Water Recovery System [1], which has proved somewhat bothersome [2].

Steve Bowen (see pic, below) and Shane Kimbrough successfully ended the mission's fourth and final spacewalk at 00:31 GMT this morning, having spent six hours and seven minutes working on the starboard and port solar alpha rotary joints, installing a camera on the Port 1 Truss and attaching a GPS antenna to Japan's Kibo lab.

Endeavour will now undock on Friday, and is slated to land at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 18:18 GMT on Sunday. ®

Links

1. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/waterrecycler.html
2. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/24/urine_recycler_troubles_at_iss/

Related stories

• ISS astronauts lose 'alarming' amounts of hipbone strength (27 January 2009)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/27/iss_astronauts_lose_alarming_hip_bone_strength/

• Russia says no more space tourists after 2009 (21 January 2009)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/21/russia_space_chief_sez_no_iss_tourism_in_2009/

• Endeavour down safely at Edwards (1 December 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/01/shuttle_down_after_op_golden_barrel/

• ISS drinks dispenser now taking the p*ss (26 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/26/iss_update/

• NASA's lost toolbag filmed from Earth (24 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/24/nasa_lost_toolbag_filmed_on_earth/

• ISS urinal/drinks-machine combo still buggy (24 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/24/urine_recycler_troubles_at_iss/

• Terror in orbit: ISS piss recycler in fire alarm mishap (21 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/21/iss_urine_module_fire_alarm/

• Heidemarie 'Toolbag' Piper set for second spacewalk (20 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/20/second_iss_spacewalk/

• Spacewalking astronaut drops toolbag (19 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/19/dropped_toolbag/

• Endeavour pair prep for ISS spacewalk (18 November 2008)

  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/18/endeavour_spacewalk/