Spacewalkers Complete Navigation and Science Maintenance on ISS

Aug 31 ETDeveloping

Science Desk

In Short: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and ESA's Sophie Adenot concluded a 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk, installing a new retroflector and starting work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer's heat-rejecting radiator.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and ESA's Sophie Adenot successfully completed their spacewalk outside the International Space Station, concluding at 3:29 p.m. They installed a new retroflector on the forward port of the Harmony module to aid in spacecraft navigation. Additionally, they began work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer’s heat-rejecting radiator, deferring some tasks for future spacewalks due to technical considerations.

During the spacewalk, Adenot experienced mobility issues with her left arm, which was noted by Mission Control. Despite the challenges, the astronauts made significant progress on both navigation and science maintenance tasks. Meir’s seventh spacewalk now places her third among women at NASA for total spacewalks, behind Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams.

The spacewalk, designated as 99, was the 284th in support of the International Space Station’s assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. It also marked Adenot’s third spacewalk, while Meir’s experience brought her total to seven, further solidifying her position in NASA’s spacewalking history.

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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.
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).
It also was the 284th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Sources

NASA (.gov)link