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Baltimore Astronaut Takes Part In NASA Spacewalk

BALTIMORE (WJZ)— It was a big day in space for Baltimore's own astronaut Reid Wiseman.

Mary Bubala has more on the mission.

After months on the International Space Station, he finally got to go out on a spacewalk-- one of two planned for this month before he comes home.

The walk began around 8:10 a.m. Tuesday and was scheduled to last 6 1/2 hours.

Wiseman, a NASA flight engineer, got a breathtaking view some 260 miles over the southern Pacific Ocean.

One camera shows Wiseman's hands--one holding onto the outside of the International Space Station. A different camera shows him floating as European astronaut Alexander Gerst brings a pump module over to Wiseman at a stowage platform.

Guided by NASA scientists on Earth, astronauts Wiseman and Gerst are carefully making improvements to the ISS on this spacewalk.

In an interview with WJZ from space, Wiseman says he couldn't wait to get out there.

"Absolutely excited, nervous, anxious, those are the thoughts that go through my head. But really you don't know those events are going to happen until you go out the door, anything can change," Wiseman said.

But Wiseman proved he's a pro in space.

A camera mounted on his spacesuit shows the delicate work needed to relocate a failed pump module and install gear that provides back up power to external robotics equipment.

The other spacewalk is scheduled for next week, Wednesday. Oct. 15.

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