Astronaut's wife keeps tab on hubby in space.

LEAGUE CITY, Texas - Susan Anderson has the advantage of watching her husband on the job, even though he's in outer space.

She just turns on NASA TV and watches as Clay Anderson is tethered to the exterior of the International Space Station unscrewing a bolt on an ammonia tank assembly.
Ashland native Clay Anderson is a member of the STS-131 crew that flew to the space station on April 5 onboard the space shuttle Discovery. He and fellow astronaut Rick Mastracchio completed their third and final spacewalk Tuesday morning, and will join the rest of the crew for final tasks before returning to earth on April 19.
Susan has spoken to her husband several times since the mission began. He told her about the work he has done.


"He's pretty proud of the success he and Rick have had on the space walks," she said.
That is despite some setbacks, including a bolt that wouldn't come loose during the second spacewalk on Sunday. Clay told her that he and Mastracchio worked with the people on the ground in Houston to solve the problem.
"They are proud of the fact that they were able to figure it out," she said.
Susan said Clay also told her he got a chance to visit with members of the Expedition 23 crew, who are living on the space station, including Oleg Kotov, who was on the space station when Clay lived there for 152 days in 2007. Clay also sat down for a meal with the space station crew, sharing his thoughts on what it was like to be in space for nearly five months.
Susan also heard about the shuttle launch from Clay. Despite some discomfort due to a tightly cinched harness that made it difficult to breathe for a short time, it was memorable.

"It's a thrill he can't describe," she said.

With their two children, Sutton and Cole, by her side, Susan watched the nighttime launch at Kennedy Space Station. She said it was very exciting, but a bit low key compared to three years ago. That was in part due to the fact that Clay was able to come home nearly every night after training, she said.

The landing will be equally as exciting, especially now that the kids can go, Susan said. With the landing scheduled one day later than originally planned, a scheduling conflict has now been avoided.
"We're happy about that," she said.
Susan said as the end of the mission draws near, she is happy for Clay, but a bit sad knowing this will be his final trip to space.
"I don't anticipate he'll fly again," she said.
Clay was excited and proud to have another chance to fulfill his lifelong dream.
"He never anticipated he'd get a second opportunity to fly in space," she said.

After he returns on April 19, the family will fly together to Houston the next day for a welcome ceremony that is now scheduled for 4 p.m. The day after that, it's back to work for the astronaut, as meetings and reports are scheduled.
Susan anticipates an easier "rehab" after this landing, compared to 2007, when five months of weightlessness took their toll on Clay's body.

"It will certainly be easier than the last experience," she said.
In the months after the landing, public appearances will fill Clay's schedule. Although nothing has been set yet, Clay anticipates a return to his hometown, where he hopes to present the ornament he took into space to the city. Other plans include a trip to the College World Series in Omaha.

One post-landing event has already been scheduled, and it won't be interrupted for anything. While her dad was in space, Sutton played the baker's wife in the musical "Into the Woods Junior." Clay and Sutton plan to watch as soon as possible.
"They're going to make some popcorn and sit on the sofa with blankets and watch the recording together," said Susan.

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