School of Osage Grad Gets Ready for Space Walk

A Richland native and School of the Osage graduate is getting ready for his first walk in space.  Astronaut Mike Hopkins who is aboard the International Space Station will be making the spacewalk on Saturday and again on Monday.  If necessary, he would also be out in space on Christmas Day.  Hopkins along with Astronaut Rick Mastracchio will be removing a failed pump module and installing a spare.  The module failed last week.  The pump is part of the station’s external cooling loops which circulate ammonia outside the station to keep equipment inside and outside cool.  If Hopkins and Mastracchio do make a space walk on Christmas Day it would be the first time that has happened since 1974.