Nasa has asked its shuttle astronauts to take a closer look at the gears that control the international space station’s solar wings to try to locate a problem in the mechanics of the system.

SPACEWALKING astronauts unhooked a 35,000-pound girder from the international space station yesterday, starting the process of moving the solar power tower to another part of the orbiting outpost.

Astronauts aboard the international space station readied for a second space walk today, preparing to work on the outside of the new Harmony addition and inspect a couple of areas of concern on the orbiting outpost.

Their first wave of construction work successfully completed, the 10 astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery and the international space station eagerly awaited their entrance today into the latest addition to the orbiting complex.