Endeavour astronauts on spacewalk install Extension Pole (Space Station)

from MSNBC story (posted Friday May 27, 2011)

Two astronauts made history Friday as the final spacewalkers of NASA's 30-year shuttle program, completing construction of the International Space Station with the smooth addition of an extension pole.

"Space station assembly is complete," the space shuttle Endeavour's commander, Mark Kelly, announced once the 50-foot (15-meter) boom was securely latched.
Spacewalkers Mike Fincke and Gregory Chamitoff teamed up with robot arm operator Gregory Johnson to accomplish the job.
"Assembly complete. Amazing," Chamitoff said. "Boy, this is a big space station," he marveled several minutes later.
Fincke and Chamitoff became the last shuttle crew members to perform a spacewalk. All future spacewalks — including one scheduled during the final shuttle voyage this summer — will be performed by full-time space station residents.
Another milestone was achieved: 1,000 hours of spacewalking at the orbiting outpost.
Before Friday morning, astronauts had logged 995 hours outside for space station assembly and maintenance. Fincke and Chamitoff hit the 1,000-hour mark five hours into their spacewalk, the 159th to build the station and keep it humming since 1998. The spacewalk ended at the seven-hour, 24-minute mark.  The space station's newly attached boom was used by Endeavour's astronauts Thursday to survey their ship for micrometeorite damage. NASA expects to finish reviewing the 3-D images Friday. If everything looks good, managers will clear Endeavour for next week's trip home.
The boom, which launched aboard Endeavour, will remain permanently at the space station and assist with future repairs, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Fincke and Chamitoff put an attachment on one end of the boom to fit the space station's robot arm, and disconnected the no-longer-needed laser sensors at its tip.
Besides the boom, the shuttle delivered a $2 billion particle physics detector that was placed on the station last week.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43190007/ns/technology_and_science-space/