Love was one of two spacewalkers who helped install Columbus on Monday. He is scheduled to participate in the mission's third outing on Friday to attach a pair of science experiments to the outside of the European module. In addition to spending time Thursday preparing for that spacewalk - and enjoying some much-needed off-duty time - the crew plans to chat with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Her countryman, astronaut Hans Schlegel, completed his first spacewalk on Wednesday after an illness forced mission managers to pull him from Monday's outing.

Looking and sounding fit, Schlegel and Rex Walheim completed their primary job halfway through the nearly seven-hour spacewalk: removing a depleted nitrogen tank from the space station and installing a full one weighing 550 pounds. The high-pressure nitrogen gas is needed to flush ammonia through the station's cooling lines.

Neither Schlegel nor anyone else at the European Space Agency or NASA will say what was wrong with him. Schlegel, 56, has said it's a private medical matter.

Atlantis will remain at the space station until Monday. That makes for a 13-day flight, with touchdown now set for Feb. 20. The shuttle's thermal shielding has been completely cleared for re-entry.