Spatulas in space

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/11/18/endeavour.spacewalk/index.html

Astronaut loses tool bag during spacewalk

“Things didn’t go quite according to plan for astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper during her spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Tuesday.

First, a grease gun inside her tool bag leaked, coating everything inside with a film of lubricant.

While she was trying to clean it up in the absence of gravity, the whole bag floated away.”

Apparently, this isn’t the first time the first time that an astronaut sent an object drifting into space.  The article cites similar incidents in the past where tools ended up drifitng in space, including this one:

“– During a July 2006 spacewalk, astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum lost a 14-inch spatula while testing a method to repair the space shuttle.”

This begs the following question to be asked: So what exactly were they doing with a spatula in outer space? Baking a cake?!