Russian, U S astronauts fix antenna in spacewalk

MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) A U S and a Russian astronaut fixed a problem antenna on a cargo vessel docked at the International Space Station in a six-hour spacewalk today.

American Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin released the antenna of the Progress which had snagged, ensuring the vessel will be able to undock in April.

They completed this and several other tasks in a record fifth and final spacewalk for this station crew, shown in a live broadcast on NASA's Web site (www.nasa.gov).

''They have fulfilled the entire programme and even more,'' said Russian Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin. The crew also includes U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams.

The Progress will take litter away from the station and burn up on re-entering the earth's atmosphere.

Early in the spacewalk, the cooling system of Tyurin's Russian Orlan spacesuit malfunctioned.

When the spacewalk coordinators asked him how he was feeling, Tyurin replied: ''Like in Houston -- quite warm.'' U S Mission Control is in Houston, Texas.

He had the same problem with the suit on a spacewalk in November. That time it prevented him and Lopez-Alegria from connecting a transmission cable to a neutron telescope to relay data to Earth -- a task which they accomplished today.

The astronauts took photographs of a scientific experiment and some of the hardware on the outside of the station for assessment back on Earth as well as pictures of each other.

''I miss you,'' Williams told Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria in Russian from the orbiting laboratory during the walk.

''We miss you too,'' Tyurin replied.

In a sign the weightless astronauts missed Earth too, they tried to recognise and pointed out countries and continents floating by about 350 km (217 miles) below.

Reuters PDS RN0054