MISSION CONTROL CENTER STATUS REPORT # 18
STS-69

Saturday, September 16, 1995, 5:30 AM CDT

Astronauts Jim Voss and Mike Gernhardt floated out into Endeavour's
cargo bay early this morning for a 6 1/2 hour spacewalk designed to
test new thermal improvements made to their spacesuits and the tools
and techniques which may be used one day in the assembly of the
International Space Station.

  The spacewalk began at 3:20 a.m. Central, after Voss and Gernhardt
breathed pure oxygen in Endeavour's airlock to cleanse the nitrogen
from their bloodstreams in a standard pre-spacewalk procedure.

  The first task for the spacewalkers was to install thermal sensors
on Endeavour's robot arm and at a work site mounted on the starboard
wall of the Shuttle's payload bay.  The sensors measure temperature
levels in the cargo bay to provide data on how hot and cold the
spacewalkers can get as they perform their work.

  Voss and Gernhardt removed a debris shield from the work site,
manipulated a duplicate of a computer control box for a robot arm
under development for the Space Station and tested new helmet lights
and suit heaters as they maneuvered around the cargo bay with relative
ease.

  The spacewalk is scheduled to conclude at about 10 a.m. when the two
astronauts climb back into Endeavour's airlock.  The remaining
three astronauts, Dave Walker, Ken Cockrell and Jim Newman have been
assisting with the spacewalk from the flight deck of the orbiter with
Newman serving as the primary choreographer with Voss and Gernhardt.
Newman performed a spacewalk on a Shuttle flight two years ago to
evaluate tools and techniques for future spacewalks.