Astronaut's tool bag is lost in space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A spacewalking astronaut whose grease gun erupted in a backpack-sized tool bag accidentally let go of the tote outside the international space station yesterday, and it floated off along with everything in it.

It was one of the largest items ever lost by a spacewalker, and occurred during an attempt to clean and lube a gummed-up joint on a solar panel.

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was just starting to work on the joint when the mishap occurred.

She said her grease gun exploded, getting the dark gray stuff all over her helmet, camera, and gloves. In the process of wiping off her gloves, the bag slipped out of her grip, and she lost all her other tools.

Stefanyshyn-Piper was carrying out the spacewalk with Stephen Bowen. He had his own tool bag with another grease gun, putty knife, and terry cloth oven mitts to wipe away metal grit from a clogged joint at the space station. Mission Control agreed that the spacewalk would continue as planned and that the two astronauts would share tools.

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