Astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer captured this photo of spacewalking astronaut Matthias Maurer on March 23, 2022. Voltmer used a telescope to take the image from the ground — from Maurer’s home tome of Sankt Wendel, Germany. (Image credit: @SeVoSpace/Dr. Sebastian Voltmer/www.apollo-13.eu)
Here’s a spacewalk as you’ve probably never seen one before.
Last Wednesday (March 23), NASA astronaut Raja Chari and the European Space Agency’s Matthias Maurer spent nearly seven hours outside the International Space Station, performing a variety of maintenance work.
Amazingly, astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer managed to capture a snapshot of the spacewalk action from the ground — and from Maurer’s hometown of Sankt Wendel, Germany, no less.
In photos:The most memorable spacewalks of all time
Yesterday I witnessed the #spacewalk shortly after sunset. Here comes a first photo. #ESA #astronaut Matthias Maurer was just “climbing” at this moment.The rod-shaped structure (Canadarm2) is the robot arm.Greetings from Matthias Maurers hometown – it was very exciting. #iss pic.twitter.com/39Q7YlG64uMarch 24, 2022
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“Yesterday I witnessed the #spacewalk shortly after sunset. Here comes a first photo. #ESA #astronaut Matthias Maurer was just ‘climbing’ at this moment. The rod-shaped structure (Canadarm2) is the robot arm. Greetings from Matthias Maurer’s hometown — it was very exciting. #iss,” Voltmer tweeted on Thursday (March 24).
Maurer is actually visible in the International Space Station image, as Voltmer notes in the annotated image he posted on Twitter along with the above description. And so is Chari, Voltmer added in a Sunday tweet, which he published after taking a bit more time to analyze the photo with the help of photographer Phillip Smith.
Update: 2 Spacewalkers Imaged From The GroundDuring the #spacewalk of the two astronauts @Astro_Raja and @astro_matthias the International Space Station appeared shortly after sunset in the bright evening sky over Germany. This image of the #ISS was taken on March 23, 2022. pic.twitter.com/xkKJtSoZFcMarch 28, 2022
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“I feel like I just made a once-in-a-lifetime image,” Voltmer wrote at SpaceWeather.com, which featured the photo in its online gallery. “It’s probably the first ground-based picture showing two spacewalkers on the ISS at the same time.”
Voltmer used a Celestron 11-inch EdgeHD telescope on a GM2000 HPS mount and an ASI290 planetary camera to get the shot, he told Space.com via email. You can find more of his work at his Instagram page and learn more about him here.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcomor onFacebook.
Two astronauts on a spacewalk completed several maintenance tasks outside of the International Space Station, despite getting off to a slow start due a wardrobe malfunction.
NASA astronaut Raja Chari and Matthias Maurer with the European Space Agency (ESA) spent 6 hours and 54 minutes on Wednesday (March 23) performing a number of tasks to restore and extend equipment mounted to the exterior of the space station. The extravehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk) began at 8:32 a.m. EDT (1232 GMT) as the two Expedition 66 crewmates switched their spacesuits to internal battery power.
Chari and Maurer were originally scheduled to head off to different worksites after exiting the U.S. Quest airlock, but a difficulty in keeping Maurer’s helmet-mounted video camera secure in place delayed the start of their planned activities by about an hour. Ultimately, Chari used a spare wire tie to hold down Maurer’s helmet cam and associated light unit to make sure that Mission Control had a clear view of Maurer’s progress during the spacewalk.
In photos: The most memorable spacewalks of all time
NASA astronaut Raja Chari (at top, right) and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer (top, left) work together outside the U.S. Quest Airlock at the start of their spacewalk outside of the International Space Station on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Once that issue was solved, Maurer headed off to route a power and data cable for a camera to be replaced later in the spacewalk, while Chari prepared to ride at the end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm, as controlled by fellow astronauts Kayla Barron and Tom Marshburn from inside the space station.
“We’re excited that Raja is having a chance to fly the smooth and friendly skies of Kayla and Tom,” radioed astronaut Stephanie Wilson, who served as the spacewalk coordinator from Mission Control in Houston.
“Absolutely. Way better than business class,” replied Chari.
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer, as seen from the helmet cam worn by NASA astronaut Raja Chari floats near a wire tie (at right) that is similar to the type used to tie down his own helmet-mounted camera at the start of their spacewalk outside of the International Space Station on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Image credit: NASA TV)
The space station has six radiators, three on each side of its backbone truss, which are used to draw heat and keep the modules at a livable temperature. A pair of flex hoses connecting one of the port-side radiators to a valve module was leaking ammonia coolant, which led to a 2017 spacewalk to vent the hoses and remove them from use.
The leaky hoses were returned to Earth the following year, repaired and relaunched in 2019. On Wednesday, Chari reinstalled the flex hoses, restoring use of its associated radiator and completing the primary task planned for this spacewalk.
Maurer, meanwhile, finished running the power and data cable for the new camera before moving over to install a jumper on a Columbus module and release some clamps on the Bartolomeo science platform, the latter an exterior mount for science experiments that was launched and attached to the European lab in 2020.
NASA astronaut Raja Chari, as seen from the helmet cam worn by European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer, works to install a new high definition video camera and wireless communications port during a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Mission Control next directed that both spacewalkers meet at the Port 3 (P3) truss segment to work on removing and replacing the older video camera with a high definition unit and wireless communications port. Achieving the swap, Chari connected the cable earlier routed by Maurer to the back of the new camera, bringing it online.
A “ping” test showed the installation was successful.
With the old camera and other tools in tow, Chair and Maurer made their way back to airlock. The spacewalk ended at 3:26 p.m. EDT (1926 GMT) when re-pressurization of Quest began.
The EVA was the third of the year and the 248th in support of the assembly, maintenance and upgrade of the International Space Station since 1998. It was Maurer’s first spacewalk and Chari’s second, exactly doubling his career total time working in the vacuum of space. Chari has now logged to 13 hours and 48 minutes.
Two astronauts tackled a list of leftover maintenance tasks outside of the International Space Station Saturday (March 13), completing work that was originally scheduled to be done on previous spacewalks.
Expedition 64 crewmates Victor “Ike” Glover and Mike “Hopper” Hopkins, both with NASA, ventured out of the space station’s Quest airlock on Sunday (March 13) for the 6 hour and 47 minute extravehicular activity (EVA). The spacewalk, which began at 8:14 a.m. EST (1314 GMT), marked their third outing together since arriving at the station in November on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Resilience.”
The two astronauts’ first task, postponed from a spacewalk earlier this month, was to vent the remaining ammonia from two jumper cables that were used to feed coolant into the station’s thermal control system. Working at the far left end of the orbiting complex’s backbone truss, Glover and Hopkins released the ammonia from the pair of hoses and then stowed one jumper in place and relocated the other to the side of the airlock should they are needed to help find coolant leaks in the future.
“I see venting,” said Hopkins after releasing the ammonia from the first jumper. “Oh yeah, look at that go!”
“That is more than I thought,” he said a few moments later as coolant continued to spray into space.
How it works: International Space Station’s cooling system explained
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, seen here in a photograph taken by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi from inside the International Space Station, conducts a spacewalk with NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins on Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Because ammonia is toxic, the two spacewalkers paused to inspect each other’s spacesuits to make sure no ammonia ice crystals were attached.
“I can see the top of your helmet, your lights, the PLSS [portable life support system], your shoulders, your arms — I see nothing that is stuck,” reported Glover about Hopkins’ spacesuit. “It looks clean.”
After stowing the jumpers and cleaning up the tools they used to vent the ammonia, Glover and Hopkins split ways to continue separate tasks outside the space station.
Glover, who was designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1) and wore a spacesuit with red stripes for identification, headed off to the Unity node to replace a failed wireless camera transceiver with a new one.
Meanwhile, Hopkins, wearing a spacesuit with no stripes as EV2, transitioned over to the ESA (European Space Agency) Columbus laboratory, where he worked to run electrical cables to the module’s Bartolomeo external experiment platform. Glover and Hopkins had installed the same rigging during a Jan. 27 spacewalk, but ran into issues connecting some of the cables, preventing the platform from becoming fully operational.
“Mated!” exclaimed Hopkins after successfully connecting the first of the troublesome connectors. “And the crowd goes wild!”
“Nice!” replied Glover.
“Good job! Wow! Excellent. Good news,” radioed ESA astronaut Andreas (Andy) Mogensen, who was guiding Hopkins and Glover through their work from Mission Control in Houston.
In pictures: The most memorable spacewalks in history
In a view from NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins’ high definition helmet camera, NASA astronaut Victor Glover is seen working outside the International Space Station on a spacewalk on Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
As Hopkins continued working on the second and third of four Bartolomeo cables, Glover completed the wireless transceiver replacement and moved on to installing a “stiffener” on the Quest airlock’s thermal cover to provide added structural integrity and to prevent the cloth hatch from being jostled open when not in use.
“Hopper, there’s something in my right eye,” Glover radioed to Hopkins. “I can see, but it is irritating trying to keep it open.”
Glover continued working on the hatch stiffener, but described the issue with his eye in more detail to Mission Control.
“It’s irritated if I keep it open. If I close it, I am fine, slightly irritated and it’s watery. So tears, it is creating tears,” said Glover, adding that blinking seemed to help.
A few minutes later, Glover said his right eye was back to normal.
In a view from NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins’ helmet camera, ammonia coolant can be seen venting into space (at right) as part of Hopkins’ and Victor Glover’s tasks during a spacewalk on Saturday, March 13, 2021 outside of the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Hopkins, meanwhile, had no joy with latching down the fourth connector on the Bartolomeo platform. Despite his best efforts, including using a tether as a makeshift handle to pull down on its locking mechanism, Hopkins could not get the cable to seat and Mission Control advised he stand down.
Instead, Hopkins moved on to reconfigure a ham radio antenna on the Columbus module. Astronauts use ham radio to connect with enthusiasts and students around the globe as both an educational and public outreach tool.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover works outside of the International Space Station’s Quest airlock on a Saturday, March 13, 2021 spacewalk with astronaut Michael Hopkins (not pictured). (Image credit: NASA TV)
As their final task for the spacewalk, Glover and Hopkins came together to begin routing two ethernet cables for high-definition cameras on the port truss.
The spacewalk came to an end at 3:01 p.m. EST (2001 GMT) with the repressurization of the Quest airlock.
Glover has now spent a total of 26 hours and 7 minutes on four spacewalks. Hopkins has now logged 32 hours and 1 minute on his five EVAs. This was the 237th spacewalk in support of the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station, for a total time of 62 days, 3 hours, and 54 minutes.
Robert Pearlman is a Space.com contributing writer and the editor of collectSPACE.com, a Space.com partner site and the leading space history news publication. Follow collectSPACE on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook . Original article on Space.com.
Two astronauts finally wrapped up tricky solar array strut installations outside the International Space Station Friday (March 5) that stymied a previous set of spacewalkers just a few days before.
Expedition 64 astronauts Kate Rubins of NASA (wearing a red-striped spacesuit) and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) spent 6 hours and 56 minutes working in the vacuum of space, most of that time dangling unusually far away from the core of the International Space Station (ISS).
They worked at a distant location at the station’s port side to continue upgrade work on the aging 4B and 2B solar panels. The panels were first installed during space shuttle mission STS-97 in 2007 and have naturally degraded over time.
Related: The International Space Station inside and out (infographic)
NASA’s goal is to eventually add a new set of Boeing-manufactured panels on top of each of the station’s eight arrays to boost current station power levels by 20% to 30%. Those solar panels will be shipped on a future SpaceX Dragon cargo mission, but first, the spacewalkers had to get the support struts in place.
The astronauts switched over to spacesuit battery power at 6:37 a.m. EST (1137 GMT) — officially starting the spacewalk — and exited the U.S. Quest airlock. From there, the spacewalkers made a hard left and moved hand-over-hand along the P6 structure.
“We’ll go slow,” Noguchi said cheerfully after NASA gave the authorization to venture far out on the station’s port side. It was a long journey, taking the astronauts several minutes to accomplish. “Keeping my tethers clear,” Noguchi reported as he carefully threaded his way along the truss, attached to the space station with safety lines.
Expedition 64 flight engineers Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi prepare the International Space Station for a big solar array upgrade during a spacewalk on March 5, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
There, they continued work from the spacewalk last Sunday (Feb. 28), by Rubins and NASA astronaut Victor Glover. Rubins wrestled to get herself and an articulated portable foot restraint (APFR) in the right position to look at the first work site, at the 4B solar array panel.
“I’m in the perfect body position for that APFR now,” she reported to Mission Control.
Rubins and Francisco Rubio, the “intravehicular crewmember” in Houston sending instructions from Mission Control, compared her efforts to working in “the pool.” That pool is the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, a swimming facility where astronauts practice spacewalks before flight.
“Unfortunately, I think we get the easier positions in the pool,” Rubio joked from Mission Control.
“It’s not so bad,” Rubins quipped, working in microgravity well into her fourth spacewalk.
A glitch popped up almost immediately for Rubins, as she worked to bolt the already assembled “upper triangle” struts of a modification kit into place, at the 4B solar array. Three of the four bolts moved in smoothly with her pistol grip tool — a sort of modified space drill — but the fourth wasn’t cooperating. Rubins moved the bolt in and out of place and said she wasn’t seeing it securing properly.
Rubio consulted with his colleagues on the ground to see what to do next, and the consensus in Mission Control seemed to be that the last bolt wasn’t needed after all. “We are good with three of four bolts [secured], so we’re going to press and call this a good install,” he reported.
This view from Kate Rubins’ helmet camera shows Soichi Noguchi wielding a pistol grip tool to install a solar array modification kit. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Rubins’ next task was to move back out of the foot restraint to receive more struts from Noguchi. Removing herself from her fixed spot took some effort. “And I am out of here,” she gleefully reported after several more minutes of effort.
The astronauts had fewer problems putting the other struts into place on 4B, and regularly thanked each other for keeping track of all the pieces. Next, they moved to a second worksite to troubleshoot a sticky bolt on 2B’s array modification kit that delayed some of its planned installation work by almost a week.
Proceeding carefully, Mission Control and the astronauts drove in the required bolts and finally secured all the 2B mod kit struts to the ISS, finishing the work starting on Sunday. The only minor mar to the work was when Rubins spotted a “pinpoint” abrasion on her right glove. No leak was detected, but Rubins requested that she stick close to her colleague for the rest of the spacewalk — just in case.
Related: What it’s like to work in space, using bulky EVA gloves
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins’ glove is pictured in the foreground of this view of JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, captured from Rubins’ helmet camera during a spacewalk on March 5, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Approaching the six-hour mark of a planned 6.5-hour spacewalk, NASA looked at remaining levels of oxygen and water in the spacesuits to assess whether to proceed with any “get-ahead” tasks the spacewalkers could pursue if they had the time. The agency ultimately decided not to go ahead, and to hold the additional tasks for a future spacewalking crew. These non-urgent tasks included cabling at the European Space Agency’s new Bartolomeo external platform for science experiments, and removing and replacing a system that receives video from spacewalkers.
With the main work of the spacewalk thus complete, Noguchi and Rubins cleaned up the 2B array worksite, made the long journey back to the station core along the P6 truss, then climbed back inside the Quest airlock for repressurization. The spacewalk concluded at 1:33 p.m. EST (1833 GMT).
JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi is pictured outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on March 5, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Friday’s spacewalk was the 236th spacewalk in support of space station assembly; it was the fourth each for Rubins and Noguchi, with Noguchi breaking the record for most Japanese spacewalks. Sunday’s spacewalk had seen Noguchi and Akihiko Hoshide each tied for the Japanese record, with three spacewalks each, according to remarks on NASA Television.
The most spacewalks for a woman is seven, a record shared between NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Sunita Williams; Whitson has almost three hours more cumulative time “outside” than Williams, with a total of 53 hours and 22 minutes on extra-vehicular activity.
The ground support team included Rubio, capcom and NASA’s record-breaking astronaut Christina Koch, flight director Chris Edelen, and lead spacewalk officer Art Thomason. NASA Expedition 64 astronauts Glover and Mike Hopkins (the suit-up lead) helped the spacewalkers from inside the space station.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow uson Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
Two spacewalking astronauts began preparing the International Space Station (ISS) for new solar arrays on Sunday (Feb. 28), battling tough bolts to kick off a major power upgrade for the orbiting lab.
Expedition 64 flight engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover — both NASA astronauts — spent more than seven hours working outside the station during the spacewalk to install modification kits for the new solar arrays. They worked on the station’s portside edge to install a bracket and support struts on two mast canisters at the base of the outpost’s current solar wings there, but were only able to install one of the kits while assembling a second and storing it for later.
“They completed the construction of upper support hardware and secured it to the space station’s exterior structure until work can be completed on the next spacewalk on Friday, March 5,” NASA officials said in an update.
Related: Spacewalking astronauts complete a space station battery upgrade
The ISS, parts of which have been in orbit since 1998, is getting ready for new solar panels. NASA says the oldest set of panels have been operating continuously since December 2000, and are still doing well despite their advertised 15-year service life. (The other pairs were delivered in September 2006, June 2007 and March 2009.) But the arrays don’t generate as much power as they used to, hence a series of spacewalks beginning now.
The new arrays will be smaller than the old ones due to advances in solar technology. They will be installed to roll out in front of the six current arrays, allowing the new installations to use the infrastructure already in place for the existing set, according to NASA. Boeing (the prime contractor for space station operations) will provide the arrays, with the help of its subsidiary Spectrolab and a major supplier, Deployable Space Systems.
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins (foreground in red stripes) and Victor Glover work on the base of a mast canister on the International Space Station’s Port 6 truss solar arrays on Feb. 28, 2021 to install supports for new solar arrays to be installed later this year. (Image credit: NASA TV)
The spacewalkers’ goal was to install new array support structures to the station’s 4B and 2B using a solar arrays modification kit and several tools, which came in a huge bag about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long, and 1 foot (0.3 m) wide and deep. Rubins and Glover hauled the kit and solar array struts for their work towards the right edge of the station, using a special “slingshot” device to use crew safety tethers far from the core of the ISS.
“Unfortunately, this mod kit is very large, and it doesn’t fit out the door in its current state,” said spacewalk officer Art Thomason in a news conference held Wednesday (Feb. 24). “So we have to bring it out in pieces, kind of like assembling furniture.”
Thomason noted that the mass of the equipment is roughly 330 lbs. (150 kilograms), and the crew members will need to be cautious while bringing everything to the far edges of the space station, where the solar arrays are located.
“Even though we don’t have gravity to deal with in space, we still have inertia and mass. The crew knows to be careful with this,” he said. “As they’re translating [moving] out there, they’re going to take it easy and make sure when they’re turning corners, and things like that, they help guide the bag because this is a larger thing than what they’re used to.”
Related: International Space Station at 20: A photo tour
The crew hoped to install two sets of struts at two worksites nearby the solar arrays, Thomason said. At each site, they were to use a portable foot restraint and tethers to anchor in place, before installing a left strut, a right strut and a midstrut. The astronauts planned to secure thermal blankets over each of the struts. Rubins also carried a new high-definition video camera on her spacesuit, a first for U.S. spacewalks, to provide clearer views.
In practice, however, the Glover and Rubins fell behind schedule after one of the bolts on the first strut did not fully engage at first.
“One of the bolts did not fully engage on the first attempt, so Rubins used a power drill to back it out and reseat it, then used a ratchet wrench to tighten the bolt, reaching a safe configuration,” NASA officials wrote in the update. “The bolt likely will need to be secured further before installing one of the new solar arrays that will be delivered to the space station later this year aboard SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission.”
The astronauts then managed to assemble the upper support for the second set of arrays, then secured it to their worksite so it can be installed on an upcoming spacewalk on March 5.
Rubins and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will venture outside the station on that next excursion, which is expected to complete the work begun in today’s spacewalk. It will also include a bundle of maintenance tasks: venting ammonia, removing and replacing a wireless video transceiver assembly, and installing a “stiffener” on the thermal cover of the Quest airlock to stop the cover from blowing out during spacewalks (when some residual air from the space station escapes into space.) For that excursion, Rubins will be EV 1 and Noguchi EV 2.
Solar arrays naturally degrade over time and the new array set will boost station current power levels by 20% to 30%, bringing the ISS back up to about what was available when the orbiting laboratory was first constructed decades ago, NASA said in a statement. (Batteries are also a factor in station power, especially for storage capabilities; spacewalking crews spent about four years upgrading the older batteries to newer and more efficient versions, finally completing that work in January.)
The eight solar arrays now in place provide about 160 kilowatts of power; half of that is stored for when the station is in orbital darkness, which occurs about 15 times a day. Once the new solar arrays are in place over the old ones, adding the new array power to what remains of the older arrays should provide up to 215 kilowatts of power, depending on factors such as whether the station is in sunlight or darkness, NASA said.
“The solar arrays will be delivered to the International Space Station in pairs in the unpressurized trunk of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft during three resupply missions starting in 2021, when the second pair of current arrays reaches the 15th year of its design life,” NASA added in the statement. “The installation of each solar array will require two spacewalks: one to prepare the worksite with a modification kit and another to install the new solar array.”
Solar array 4B has an interesting history. Back in 2007, astronauts on the space station and a space shuttle were deploying the newly delivered array when they noticed a tear developing. They stopped the deployment and consulted NASA’s Mission Control in Houston for a fix.
The result was an epic spacewalk — the procedures for which were implemented in mere days — that saw astronaut Scott Parazynski spacewalking atop the Canadarm2 robotic arm and an extension piece for a repair. Parazynski used tools crafted in orbit to carefully sew together the tear in the fully powered array. The tricky work of Parazynski, his crewmates and ground controllers that November allowed the damaged array to finish deploying. The fix is still in place today.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow uson Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year.
NASA’s Kate Rubins and Victor Glover emerged from the orbiting lab lugging 8-foot (2.5-meter) duffle-style bags stuffed with hundreds of pounds of mounting brackets and struts. The equipment was so big and awkward that it had to be taken apart like furniture, just to get through the hatch.
“We know it’s super tight in there,” Mission Control radioed.
In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, top, and Victor Glover work outside the International Space Station Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. The spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year. (NASA via AP)
The astronauts headed with their unusually large load to the far port side of the station, careful not to bump into anything. That’s where the station’s oldest and most degraded solar wings are located.
Glover quickly began putting the struts together in the shape of a triangle, using a cordless power drill, and Rubins bolted the completed piece to the space station.
With more people and experiments flying on the space station, more power will be needed to keep everything running, according to NASA. The six new solar panels — to be delivered in pairs by SpaceX over the coming year or so — should boost the station’s electrical capability by as much as 30%.
NASA’S PERSEVERANCE ROVER SENDS BACK FIRST HD MARS PANORAMA
Rubins and Glover had to assemble and bolt down the struts for the first two solar panels, due to launch in June.
The eight solar panels up there now are 12 to 20 years old — most of them past their design lifetime and deteriorating. Each panel is 112 feet (34 meters) long by 39 feet (12 meters) wide. Tip to tip counting the center framework, each pair stretches 240 feet (73 meters), longer than a Boeing 777′s wingspan.
Boeing is supplying the new roll-up panels, about half the size of the old ones but just as powerful thanks to the latest solar cell technology. They’ll be placed at an angle above the old ones, which will continue to operate.
A prototype was tested at the space station in 2017.
NASA ASTRONAUTS ‘VERY BUSY’ AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SPACEWALK SUNDAY
The views from Rubins’ new high-definition helmet camera were stunning, particularly those showing the vivid blue Earth 270 miles (435 kilometers) below. “Pretty fantastic,” observed Mission Control.
Sunday’s spacewalk was the third for infectious disease specialist Rubins and Navy pilot Glover — both of whom could end up flying to the moon.
They’re among 18 astronauts newly assigned to NASA’s Artemis moon-landing program. The next moonwalkers will come from this group.
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Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris put in a congratulatory call to Glover, the first African American astronaut to live full time at the space station. NASA released the video exchange Saturday.
“The history making that you are doing, we are so proud of you,” Harris said. Like other firsts, Glover replied, it won’t be the last. “We want to make sure that we can continue to do new things,” he said.
Rubins will float back out Friday with Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to wrap up the solar panel prep work, and to vent and relocate ammonia coolant hoses.
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Glover and Noguchi were among four astronauts arriving via SpaceX in November. Rubins launched from Kazakhstan in October alongside two Russians. They’re all scheduled to return to Earth this spring.
Two NASA astronauts completed the second in a pair of spacewalks today (Feb. 1), installing a European science platform and finishing up a long series of battery replacements outside the International Space Station.
Today’s spacewalk, which began at 7:56 a.m. EST (1256 GMT), was the 234th spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades, according to NASA. The 233rd spacewalk took place just a few days prior, on Jan. 27.
This spacewalk was conducted by NASA astronaut Victor Glover and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. This marked Glover’s second spacewalk and Hopkin’s fourth spacewalk.
“Enjoying the view,” Hopkins said about the view of the Earth from space during the spacewalk.
Related: The International Space Station: inside and out (infographic)
NASA astronaut Victor Glover rides on Canadarm2 to complete work during a spacewalk on Feb. 1, 2021. (Image credit: NASA)
Glover and Hopkins had a variety of tasks to tackle when they stepped out into space. After completing their main objectives — which included configuring a battery and adapter plate and installing three separate cameras — just about four hours into what was planned to be a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, the astronauts were able to complete some “get-ahead” activities.
“We went out the door a little bit late today but we’ve made up all that time,” Hopkins said during the spacewalk.
The pair was assisted by personnel including NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi on board the space station and NASA astronaut Bob Hines, who relayed next steps to the spacewalkers from the ground.
Throughout the duration of the mission, Glover used the “call sign,” or nickname, of “Ike, Hopkins used the name “Hopper” and Hines went by “Farmer.”
First, after leaving the space station airlock, Glover and Hopkins installed the final lithium-ion battery and adapter plate on the port 4 (P4) truss. The adapter plate completed the circuit for the battery system. This was the last in a series of battery-installment EVA activities that began in January 2017 to replace old nickel-hydrogen batteries with new lithium-ion batteries. Hopkins installed a scoop, a handling aid, on the lithium-ion battery to help with the installation.
“Final adapter plate installed on the @Space_Station. Today’s spacewalk will wrap up battery replacement work to change out batteries for 8 power channels used to route electricity on the station. Upgrades have been carried out in a series of spacewalks over the past 4 years,” NASA tweeted about the accomplishment.
✅ Final adapter plate installed on the @Space_Station. Today’s spacewalk will wrap up battery replacement work to change out batteries for 8 power channels used to route electricity on the station. Upgrades have been carried out in a series of spacewalks over the past 4 years. pic.twitter.com/Gmg7TmPA0sFebruary 1, 2021
“1 hr into today’s spacewalk and we have confirmation that the final Li-ion battery installed has a good configuration. @AstroVicGlover and @Astro_Illini are continuing to work on their tasks on the station,” NASA confirmed in another tweet.
The astronauts then drilled one bolt to secure the Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU), which helps to route power through the station’s battery system.
Following the completion of this main task, Hopkins worked to remove the H-fixture, a grapple fixture bracket on the same truss as the battery that were once used for ground processing of solar arrays and are not needed any longer. Hopkins loosened and removed four bolts using a tool on a retractable tether. These fixtures are necessary for future power upgrades, NASA commentator Leah Cheshier noted during the agency’s broadcast.
NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins completed the second in a series of two spacewalks today Feb. 1, 2021. (Image credit: NASA)
Glover next began replacing a magenta-hued camera on the starboard truss; the camera’s color wheel had broken. To do this, Glover had to ride the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, over to the area. The arm, which provides added stability during the maneuver, was robotically controlled by Rubins from the space station.
To get onto the arm to “ride” it to the site, Glover had to attach and configure an articulating, portable foot restraint that would connect his feet to the arm. Before the maneuver, Hopkins did a quick helmet absorption pad (HAP) check to make sure nothing was leaking inside the suit.
Once secure on the arm, and with help from Rubins inside the orbiting laboratory, Glover “flew” over to the camera’s site, with the blue hues of the Atlantic Ocean swirling hazily below. Glover successfully replaced the broken camera on the starboard truss, the first of three cameras to be installed during the spacewalk. To do this, Glover used a pistol grip tool (PGT), which astronauts use to remove and install bolts during spacewalks.
Next, as the crew flew into orbital nighttime, Hopkins and Glover moved to work on two other camera systems on the space station. The pair worked to install a new HD camera on the U.S. Destiny laboratory module and then Hopkins worked to replace pieces of the camera system on the remote manipulator system on the Japanese robotic arm.
Glover then moved to exit the foot restraint on Canadarm2, jokingly saying, “I’d fly with ‘Air Rubins’ anytime,” as astronaut Rubins commanded the arm as he rode it.
At this point, just about four hours into the spacewalk, the astronauts had completed all major tasks set out for the event and moved on to “get ahead” tasks, or extra objectives that would otherwise be done during a later spacewalk.
During this final stretch of the spacewalk, Hopkins removed an additional H-fixture and took photos of the space station’s exterior to document its current state. Glover prepared the foot restraint configuration (that he earlier used for the robotic arm ride) for a future spacewalk. Glover also removed and replaced an airlock magnet, a metal plate that helps to keep the thermal cover on the space station’s Quest Joint Airlock closed.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins (right) and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi (left) watch and wait for NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover to return from a spacewalk on Feb. 1, 2021. (Image credit: NASA)
Five hours and 20 minutes after they began, at 1:16 p.m. EST (1816 GMT), the astronauts began repressurizing the airlock and the spacewalk was officially over.
“Just want to say thank you to the entire … Farmer and vincent and everybody else, well done … i think we had a very very very good day … Thanks to everyone,” Hopkins said as the spacewalk ended.
Following today’s spacewalk, the Expedition 64 astronauts will conduct two additional spacewalks in the near future, according to NASA. Next, Glover and Rubins will prepare the space station’s power system for the installation of new solar arrays and, in the spacewalk after that, Rubins and Noguchi will continue to upgrade space station components, according to NASA. The exact dates for those spacewalks have not yet been set.
Today’s spacewalk coincides with the first day of Black History Month. Glover, who completed today’s spacewalk with Hopkins, is the first Black astronaut to take part in a long-duration mission on the station, staying for over six months as part of Expedition 64 and Expedition 65. Glover, who launched to the space station on Nov. 15, 2020, as part of SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission, is only the 15th Black astronaut to ever reach space.
“It is something to be celebrated once we accomplish it, and, you know, I am honored to be in this position and to be a part of this great and experienced crew,” Glover said during a 2020 news conference before he launched to the space station. “And I look forward to getting up there and doing my best to make sure that, you know, we are worthy of all the work that’s been put into setting us up for this mission.”
This spacewalk also coincides with the anniversary of the loss of STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia mission that, on Feb. 1, 2003, ended in tragedy the shuttle broke up while returning to Earth, killing all seven astronauts on board: Rick Husband, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, William McCool and Ilan Ramon. The crew had successfully made it to space, where they spent 16 days and performed about 80 experiments before attempting to return to Earth.
An investigation determined that during launch, a large piece of foam fell from the shuttle’s external tank and hit the spacecraft’s wing. That damage caused the shuttle’s reentry failure. This tragic event moved NASA to take a hard look at their safety protocols and internal workplace culture to prioritize future astronaut safety.
Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Two spacewalking astronauts faced down and fixed numerous technical glitches during a busy spacewalk Wednesday (Jan. 27), but couldn’t quite finish upgrading a European science platform on the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover spent nearly seven hours spacewalking outside the station to work on the Bartolomeo external science platform on the European Space Agency’s Columbus module. While the astronauts managed to overcome most of their issues, they were unable to activate the Bartolomeo platform itself because one of three cables refused to connect.
Working with space and ground teams, Glover and Hopkins managed to overcome numerous other issues. These included several stiff cables, an initially unresponsive antenna, and two sticky devices called H-fixtures. The teams also encountered, but moved past, rare astronaut communication issues during Canadarm2 robotic arm operations.
Before the astronauts returned inside, NASA reported that a new high-speed data antenna the spacewalkers installed is “working as it should be.” This was a major win for space and ground teams after overcoming several failed attempts to turn on heaters during the spacewalk, to support the antenna’s operations.
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Astronaut Victor Glover rides the Canadarm2 robotic arm outside the International Space Station while crewmate Michael Hopkins of NASA works nearby in a spacewalk on Jan. 27, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
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Astronaut Victor Glover tosses an antenna cover into space for disposal while riding a robotic arm outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Jan. 27, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
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Astronaut Victor Glover rides the Canadarm2 robotic arm outside the International Space Station while crewmate Michael Hopkins of NASA works nearby in a spacewalk on Jan. 27, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
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A view of SpaceX’s Crew-1 Crew Dragon spacecraft (right) docked at the International Space Station. The spacecraft ferried four Expedition 64 astronauts to the station in November, including NASA’s Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins, who took a spacewalk on Jan. 27, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
An astronaut’s first spacewalk
The day started quietly when Hopkins and Glover, both of Expedition 64, switched to spacesuit battery power inside the Quest airlock at 6:28 a.m. EST (1128 GMT). Their big goals on the spacewalk were to install the high-speed antenna and connect the Bartolomeo external science platform’s cables at the European Space Agency’s Columbus module. They also planned to ready the space station for essential power upgrades.
Hopkins, an Expedition 36/37 veteran on his third excursion outside the space station, made his way to Columbus using tethers and handgrips. Glover’s first few minutes of extravehicular activity were spectacular, as the astronaut climbed aboard the Canadarm2 robotic arm for a ride to Columbus, under the control of NASA astronaut Kate Rubins inside the ISS.
“Hey, Mike,” Glover casually said during his ride, as he approached his crewmate perched on Columbus.
Hopkins quickly looked up. “That’s a beautiful view,” he said.
“Yeah,” Glover said, continuing his journey.
Cable troubles
The first major task for astronauts was installing a new high-speed Ka-band data cable on Columbus so astronauts and researchers have access to a broadband connection with European science facilities on the ground. Trouble started almost immediately when Hopkins and Glover struggled with four bolts they needed to remove from Columbus to safely install the cable.
The astronauts, in conversation with Mission Control, tried different approaches to screw and unscrew the bolts, which NASA said had “some resistance” to being removed – not an uncommon situation in space, where metal expands and contracts considerably under large temperature swings. Eventually, the astronauts safely bolted in the Columbus Ka-band antenna (ColKa) and verified it was firmly in place.
“EV2 sees no wiggle,” Glover said to Houston about the newly installed antenna, referring to his designation of “EV2” or second spacewalker. Hopkins was EV1, wearing red stripes on his spacesuit so that orbital camera views could easily distinguish between the two astronauts.
Minutes after the astronauts moved to the next workstation, however, NASA discovered ColKa wasn’t responding to commands to turn on the heaters. Hopkins backtracked for a classic solution familiar to any computer user facing cable issues – “demating and remating”, or unplugging and replugging, the two cables connecting ColKa to Columbua. With the antenna heaters still not responding, NASA put in a call to ESA’s European Operations Control Center in Cologne, Germany to discuss solutions.
It was a lengthy NASA-ESA conversation as Glover and Hopkins also discovered a second issue, minutes later. Cables to activate the Bartolomeo external science platform were stiff, which is a common problem in cold microgravity conditions, and refused to fully clamp down. The crew members were able to “soft dock” the Columbus cables, but couldn’t secure the connection as planned. A firm connection required fully pulling down levers on each of the three cables, and the crew reported the cables were only moving down halfway.
Astronaut Victor Glover rides the Canadarm2 robotic arm outside the International Space Station while crewmate Michael Hopkins of NASA works nearby in a spacewalk on Jan. 27, 2021. (Image credit: NASA TV)
Bartolomeo still down
After nearly an hour of interagency discussion, with the spacewalk approaching the three-hour mark, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen — responsible for coaching the spacewalkers through their tasks from Houston — radioed a new set of instructions from Mission Control.
Hopkins and Glover removed an unneeded ColKa cover in another bid to get the heaters working. Next, Hopkins grabbed some wire ties to force at least some of the Bartolomeo cables to close. Thanks to Hopkins’ efforts, two of the three cables are connected and transmitting power and data as expected, but the third couldn’t be connected and is temporarily capped off and stowed safely in place, NASA said in updates during the broadcast.
The trouble means Bartolomeo is “not yet functional” due to the cable issues, NASA added, but space agency officials will continue discussions after the spacewalk. The next opportunity to address the problem is a scheduled spacewalk on Monday (Feb. 1.)
An antenna cover overboard (on purpose)
As Hopkins battled the Bartolomeo cables, Glover hopped on Canadarm2 to jettison the unneeded ColKa cover. This was a planned procedure also marred by temporary communications issues with Glover. Glover’s voice was breaking up, but Rubins – in control of Canadarm2 – could transmit her communications to Glover with no issue.
Mogensen, relaying the consensus from Mission Control, said there probably was something on station physically blocking the voice signal. Rubins was authorized to move Glover into place to toss the cover away from the space station, an operation NASA broadcast live on video.
As ColKa’s cover floated away, NASA reported the recalcitrant antenna heaters were finally alive. The upgraded antenna should give quick speeds of up to 50 megabits a second for downlink and up to two megabits for uplink, according to ESA, a healthy enough connection to easily stream video.
Five hours into the spacewalk, the astronauts — who had spent most of their time outside so far troubleshooting the unexpected — began joking about taking a snack break and eating bacon, which is technically impossible given they were each locked inside of a spacesuit.
“It is definitely snack time,” one astronaut said during the conversation, with the other adding, “I would have thought Rubins would have snacks in the airlock for just this kind of an event.”
“We’ll have snacks for you later,” Rubin reassured Glover and Hopkins.
But the astronauts kept up their energy, even without bacon, as they managed to overcome yet another small snag at the P6 truss. The H-fixtures (grapple fixtures) they worked on there proved harder than expected to remove. With that task accomplished, the newly opened slots will open up room for an ISS power upgrade.
The orbiting complex will eventually get six new solar arrays that will boost power by 20 to 30 per cent, which will assist with the station’s growing focus on commercial and research opportunities. Astronauts have also spent several years upgrading existing nickel hydrogen batteries to more powerful lithium ion batteries, a four-year task that Hopkins and Glover are expected to complete on their second spacewalk Monday (Feb. 1.)
NASA even authorized a “get-ahead” task on Wednesday’s spacewalk, referring to an item usually put in when the astronauts are well ahead of schedule. Glover prepared to remove and replace what NASA thought was a broken “pip pin” inside the crew airlock, following up on a previous crew report during a July 2020 spacewalk. After inspecting the pin up close, however, both ground teams and Glover determined the pin appeared to be working well. Glover thus left aside the replacement task.
Wednesday’s spacewalk was the 233rd spacewalk in support of station maintenance, operations and upgrades, according to the live NASA Television broadcast. The support team in Mission Control also included CapCom Drew Feustel, a Canadian-U.S. NASA astronaut.
Glover’s spacewalk was the first for an African-American since NASA astronaut Alvin Drew’s EVA on space shuttle mission STS-133 on Feb. 28, 2011. The first African-American to walk in space was NASA astronaut Bernard Harris on Feb. 3, 1995, during STS-63.
Glover is also flying the first long-duration ISS mission for an African-American, marking a long overdue milestone in the space station’s more than 20 years of continuous operations. His scheduled six-month stay should easily eclipse the past African-American record of 42 cumulative days in space, set by NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson across three space station missions: STS-121, STS-120 and STS-131.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow uson Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
