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NASA, ESA Astronauts Conclude Spacewalk at International Space Station
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In Short: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA's Sophie Adenot completed a 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk, installing a retroflector and performing maintenance tasks.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot concluded their spacewalk at the International Space Station, marking the 284th such mission to support station operations.
During the mission, the duo installed a new retroflector on the forward port of the Harmony module, essential for spacecraft navigation. They also replaced a high-definition camera on the station’s truss and collected samples for microorganism analysis.
The astronauts made progress on installing jumper cables for electrical systems and began work on preparing for the replacement of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer’s heat-rejecting radiator. However, mission control deferred the final installation due to the development of a more suitable plan for a future spacewalk.
Adenot experienced mobility issues with her left arm during the spacewalk, highlighting the physical demands of extravehicular activities. This was Meir’s seventh spacewalk, making her third in total among women at NASA, behind Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams.
The spacewalk, designated as 99, was part of a series of maintenance and upgrade tasks critical for the ongoing operation and longevity of the International Space Station.
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- NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3:29 p.m.
- During the 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk, Meir and Adenot installed a new retroflector on the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module to support spacecraft navigation during rendezvous and docking operations.
- The duo replaced a high-definition camera on the station’s truss and completed a swab of the space station’s exterior for microorganisms.
- They also partially completed work to install jumper cables for electrical systems and started work to prepare for the replacement of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer’s heat-rejecting radiator on a future spacewalk.
- Mission Control deferred installing the remaining guide studs for the spectrometer’s replacement radiator so engineers can develop a plan to finish the work during a future spacewalk.
- During the spacewalk, Adenot experienced some mobility issues with her left arm.
- spacewalk 99 was Meir’s seventh and Adenot’s third.
- Meir now ranks third all-time among woman at NASA for total spacewalks, behind Peggy Whitson (10) and Suni Williams (9).
Sources
- NASA (.gov)link