VOA常速英语:Astronauts Take Space Walk, Perform Tasks on Space Station

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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station conducted a space walk Saturday.

The walk, which required Steven Swanson and Joseph Acaba to float outside the station for nearly seven hours, was one of three that astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery are conducting during their 13-day mission to the station.

Meantime, astronauts inside the station are working to replace a system designed to recycle urine into water for use aboard the station. All the improvements will prepare for the transition from three to six astronauts living on the station later this year.

Japanese Koichi Wakata arrived at the station aboard Discovery, as part of the mission known as STS-119, and will spend the next few months in orbit. In an interview with VOA, Wakata said there is a lot of information to absorb after arriving at the station.

"We have been very busy in the assembly task of the STS-119. It is like drinking water from a fire hose," said Wakata. "I am still learning a lot but I am enjoying every moment."

Wakata replaces Sandy Magnus who has spent the past four months in space. Magnus told VOA that living in orbit has given her newfound appreciation for the Earth.

"It looks very fragile from here and it is very easy to take it for granted when we live on it, because it seems so big and massive. But it is not, it is very small and very fragile," said Magnus. "That is something that really hits home when you see it out the window from up here."

Magnus and the Discovery crew will return to Earth next week after wrapping up their work on the space station.