STS-130 Spacewalkers “Camping Out” in Airlock

Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick, set to perform the third spacewalk of the STS-130 mission, are spending the night in the Quest airlock of the International Space Station. The “campout” procedure, with the airlock pressure reduced to 10.2 psi, aims to lower their blood’s nitrogen content and minimize the possibility of decompression sickness. The 6.5-hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 9:09 p.m. EST.