2 Nasa astronauts repair key equipment on Space Station after 7-hour spacewalk
Nasa astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir stepped outside the International Space Station to replace a faulty Canadarm2 wrist joint. The repair was aimed at restoring a vital robotic arm used for cargo operations, maintenance and astronaut support.
Two Nasa astronauts completed a 7-hour-20-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) as they finished replacing a malfunctioning wrist joint on one of the most important robotic systems of the space-based laboratory, which orbits the Earth at 28,000 kilometres per hour.
Chris Williams and Jessica Meir exited the space station's Quest airlock on Tuesday for a planned six-and-a-half-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to replace a malfunctioning wrist joint on Canadarm2, the ISS's 17.6-metre-long robotic arm.
The spacewalk, however, lasted for longer than expected, concluding at 1.10 am IST on Wednesday, according to Nasa.
Following the repair by the astronauts, Nasa’s Mission Control in Houston powered up Canadarm2 to successfully complete an initial check of the system’s power and data connectivity, the US space agency said in an official release.
"Over the coming week, ground controllers also will begin moving the arm as system checkouts continue," it added.
WATCH THE SPACEWALK HERE
The spacewalk, which began at approximately 6.05 pm IST, marked the 280th spacewalk dedicated to the assembly, maintenance and upgrades of the ISS.
Canadarm2, built by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), is one of the station's most critical pieces of equipment. The robotic arm is used to capture visiting cargo spacecraft, move astronauts during spacewalks, relocate large modules and support maintenance work outside the station.
The repair became necessary after the arm experienced a malfunction on May 27, when one of its wrist joints drew unusually high motor current and failed to move as expected during routine operations.
Following weeks of analysis, engineers from Nasa and the Canadian Space Agency concluded that the faulty joint needed to be replaced during a spacewalk using a spare component already stored aboard the ISS.
Nasa said such repairs are expected after more than 25 years of continuous operations. Canadarm2 was designed with replaceable parts to allow astronauts to carry out maintenance without returning the hardware to Earth.
During the mission, Williams served as spacewalk crew member 1, wearing a spacesuit with red identification stripes, while Meir was spacewalk crew member 2, wearing an unmarked suit.
The EVA was Williams' second career spacewalk and Meir's fifth.
Spacewalks remain among the most challenging tasks astronauts perform. Working in the vacuum of space, astronauts must carefully manoeuvre while tethered to the station, handling tools and replacement hardware in microgravity as they carry out precision engineering tasks hundreds of kilometres above Earth.
The successful replacement of the wrist joint will restore the robotic arm's full capability, ensuring it can continue supporting spacecraft arrivals, scientific experiments and future maintenance operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Two Nasa astronauts completed a 7-hour-20-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) as they finished replacing a malfunctioning wrist joint on one of the most important robotic systems of the space-based laboratory, which orbits the Earth at 28,000 kilometres per hour.
Chris Williams and Jessica Meir exited the space station's Quest airlock on Tuesday for a planned six-and-a-half-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to replace a malfunctioning wrist joint on Canadarm2, the ISS's 17.6-metre-long robotic arm.
The spacewalk, however, lasted for longer than expected, concluding at 1.10 am IST on Wednesday, according to Nasa.
Following the repair by the astronauts, Nasa’s Mission Control in Houston powered up Canadarm2 to successfully complete an initial check of the system’s power and data connectivity, the US space agency said in an official release.
"Over the coming week, ground controllers also will begin moving the arm as system checkouts continue," it added.
WATCH THE SPACEWALK HERE
The spacewalk, which began at approximately 6.05 pm IST, marked the 280th spacewalk dedicated to the assembly, maintenance and upgrades of the ISS.
Canadarm2, built by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), is one of the station's most critical pieces of equipment. The robotic arm is used to capture visiting cargo spacecraft, move astronauts during spacewalks, relocate large modules and support maintenance work outside the station.
The repair became necessary after the arm experienced a malfunction on May 27, when one of its wrist joints drew unusually high motor current and failed to move as expected during routine operations.
Following weeks of analysis, engineers from Nasa and the Canadian Space Agency concluded that the faulty joint needed to be replaced during a spacewalk using a spare component already stored aboard the ISS.
Nasa said such repairs are expected after more than 25 years of continuous operations. Canadarm2 was designed with replaceable parts to allow astronauts to carry out maintenance without returning the hardware to Earth.
During the mission, Williams served as spacewalk crew member 1, wearing a spacesuit with red identification stripes, while Meir was spacewalk crew member 2, wearing an unmarked suit.
The EVA was Williams' second career spacewalk and Meir's fifth.
Spacewalks remain among the most challenging tasks astronauts perform. Working in the vacuum of space, astronauts must carefully manoeuvre while tethered to the station, handling tools and replacement hardware in microgravity as they carry out precision engineering tasks hundreds of kilometres above Earth.
The successful replacement of the wrist joint will restore the robotic arm's full capability, ensuring it can continue supporting spacecraft arrivals, scientific experiments and future maintenance operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.
