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Astronaut John "Danny" Olivas, STS-128 mission specialist pauses to take a photograph during the mission's first spacewalk with one of the International Space Station's solar panels glowing in the background as construction and maintenance continue on the station in this NASA handout photo taken September 1, 2009. [Agencies]
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: A spacewalk by two astronauts is still on for Thursday even though a large piece of space junk is headed their way.
Part of an old European rocket is expected to pass within two miles (three kilometers) of space shuttle Discovery and the international space station on Friday. NASA officials say that should be a safe distance and they do not expect the linked spacecraft to change course. But if the projections change, the astronauts would complete the spacewalk before steering out of the way.
The debris is believed to have a surface area of 200 square feet (18.5 square meters).
Astronauts Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang will install a new ammonia tank outside the space station. It will be the second spacewalk of the mission.
