In this image made from video provided by NASA, astronauts Chris Cassidy, foreground, and Tom Marshburn prepare for a possible spacewalk from the International Space Station on Friday, May 10, 2013. NASA will decide later Friday if the two astronauts will step outside the station to work on a leaking coolant line. The line chills power systems but power was rerouted and is operating normally. The six-member crew is not in danger. (AP Photo/NASA)
In this image made from video provided by NASA, astronauts Chris Cassidy, foreground, and Tom Marshburn prepare for a possible spacewalk from the International Space Station on Friday, May 10, 2013. NASA will decide later Friday if the two astronauts will step outside the station to work on a leaking coolant line. The line chills power systems but power was rerouted and is operating normally. The six-member crew is not in danger. (AP Photo/NASA)
FILE - In this Monday July 27, 2009 image provided by NASA, astronauts Tom Marshburn, left, and Christopher Cassidy participate in a spacewalk for maintenance tasks. On Friday, May 10, 2013, the two astronauts are preparing for a possible impromptu spacewalk to work on a leaking ammonia coolant line. The line chills power systems but power was rerouted and is operating normally. The six-member crew is not in danger. NASA will decide Friday evening if the spacewalk is needed on Saturday. (AP Photo/NASA)
FILE - This May 23, 2011 file photo released by NASA shows the International Space Station at an altitude of approximately 220 miles above the Earth, taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking. NASA on Thursday, May 9, 2013 said the International Space Station has a radiator leak in its power system. The outpost's commander calls the situation serious, but not life-threatening. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli, File)
In this image provided by NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, Expedition 20 flight engineer, participates in the STS-128 mission's first session of extravehicular activity on the International Space Station Sept. 1, 2009. Two deployed radiators are visible behind Stott. The International Space Station has a radiator leak in its power system. The outpost's commander calls the situation serious, but not life-threatening. The six-member crew on Thursday May 9, 2013 noticed white flakes of ammonia leaking out of the station. (AP Photo/NASA)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Two astronauts are preparing for a possible impromptu spacewalk Saturday to work on a coolant leak in the power system at the International Space Station.
NASA says the six-member crew at the station is not in danger. The ammonia leak forced the shutdown of one of eight solar panels that power the station, but the outpost can operate fine with only seven, spokesman Kelly Humphries said.
NASA will decide Friday evening whether the spacewalk is needed Saturday. One of the spacewalk veterans slated for the job is due to return to Earth on Monday, one of the reasons NASA wants to do it this weekend, he said.
Station Commander Chris Hadfield of Canada told NASA flight controllers Friday that the six-member crew is completely ready for the spacewalk.
"I think it's really smart the way we're all proceeding here," Hadfield radioed down to Earth. "It's the right thing to do."
Hadfield tweeted that the crew was working "like clockwork" and said the two astronauts were already getting their spacesuits ready, adding "Cool!"
The leak is in one of the radiator lines that chill the power systems. NASA spokesman Rob Navias said the line was expected to run out of ammonia coolant Friday. Power has been rerouted and is operating normally, he said.
NASA suspects the leak might be on the far left truss of the station from a certain box, but isn't certain. There's a spare box right near it and spacewalking astronauts can swap it out if that's the source, Navias said.
"What's causing the leak is unknown because there's a lot of plumbing underneath the box itself," he said. "We've had lots of experience in installing and replacing coolant loop hardware."
If needed, U.S. astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn would make about a six-hour spacewalk. They have trained for this type of repair. It is what NASA calls one of the "Big 12" types of emergency repair work that all spacewalking astronauts prepare for in advance, Navias said.
In 2009, Cassidy and Marshburn flew to the space station on the shuttle Endeavour and walked in space together to swap out a battery in the same location, so "they know this work site inside and out," Navias said.
Marshburn, Hadfield and Russia's Roman Romanenko are set to return to Earth on Monday. Humphries said if a spacewalk is needed, NASA would like the experienced duo of Cassidy-Marshburn to do it. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told reporters in Virginia on Friday that the return of the three astronauts will go ahead as planned Monday.
Another reason to do it quickly: There may be some residual ammonia left which will help the spacewalkers find the leak, which is generating visible white flakes. If they wait longer, it will be harder to find the leak if there is no more ammonia left to come out in white flakes, Humphries said.
Last fall, station instruments revealed a radiator leak that was so small that it wasn't visible. It was in the same general area, but NASA isn't sure if it is the same leak or not, he said.
In November, two other spacewalking astronauts tried to reroute coolant lines to bypass the tiny leak but it wasn't successful, he said.
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AP writer Brock Vergakis contributed to this report from Hampton, Va.
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Online:
NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
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Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears
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