| GEO World | | US, Russian astronauts venture out on spacewalk | Updated at: 2327 PST, Tuesday, March 10, 2009
 WASHINGTON: Two astronauts at the international space station are taking a spacewalk on the eve of shuttle Discovery's launch to their outpost.
American commander Mike Fincke and Russian Yuri Lonchakov ventured out early Tuesday afternoon to perform some maintenance work. They hope to wrap up some chores that they did not get to during a spacewalk just before Christmas. Tuesday's spacewalk should last close to six hours.
Down at NASA's spaceport in Florida, everything is falling into place for Wednesday night's planned launch of Discovery. The mission was delayed a month because of concern over some valves. The shuttle and its six-man crew will deliver one last set of solar wings for the space station.
Forecasters put the odds of good launch weather at 90 percent. |  |
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