Is radiation a danger factor in space?
That is one of many things two astronauts onboard the international space station crew will test Wednesday during a spacewalk expected to last more than six hours. NASA flight engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch are scheduled to begin their foray into space from the Quest Airlock starting shortly after 7:00 a.m. EST. The spacewalk will be the first use of Quest since July 2001 and will set the stage for four more upcoming spacewalks from the U.S.-built airlock. Those walks will be to attach the first of several large truss segments to the station during a shuttle mission currently scheduled for early April. On this trip outside, Walz and Bursch will be wearing devices that monitor space radiation dosages encountered by the eyes, internal organs and skin. The experiment will help scientists better understand the effects of intense space radiation and design better spacesuits for future spacewalkers. Walz and Bursch, both of whom performed spacewalks last month, will take their orders fro
