Two NASA astronauts have concluded the next-to-previous established of battery replacements outdoors of the International House Station, advancing a multi-calendar year venture to enhance the electric power method for the orbiting laboratory.
Expedition 63 commander Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken, who launched on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft in late May perhaps, done their 2nd spacewalk with each other on Wednesday (July 1), 5 days immediately after starting the battery swap get the job done for one of two electricity channels on the station’s far starboard (S6) truss nevertheless needing to be upgraded.
The spacewalk started at 7:13 a.m. EDT (1113 GMT) as Cassidy and Behnken switched their spacesuits to interior power.
Video clip: NASA spacewalkers perform outside the house space station to swap batteries
In photographs: The Expedition 63 mission to the International Room Station
Performing together with a pallet supported by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, the astronauts retrieved and installed 1 additional lithium-ion battery and 1 much more adapter plate, incorporating to the two new batteries and two adapter plates they put into put on June 26. The spacewalkers also taken out the sixth and last, more mature nickel-hydrogen battery, stowing it on the pallet for its disposal.
Every new battery actions about 50 % the dimensions of a refrigerator, or 40 inches long by 37 inches broad by 19 inches large (101 by 94 by 48 centimeters). The old nickel-hydrogen batteries weigh 365 lbs. (165 kilograms) every. The lithium-ion replacements weigh 428 lbs. (194 kg).
As the new batteries have much more potential, one particular lithium-ion battery (and a single adapter plate) can exchange two nickel-hydrogen batteries. Due to the fact January 2017, astronauts have been doing work to update each of the station’s 8 ability channels with a few lithium-ion batteries in location of their initial 6 nickel-hydrogen batteries.
Associated: Spacewalk photos: Global Space Station receives a electric power up grade
The new batteries have been sent to and disposed by Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV), the most up-to-date and very last of which arrived at the area station in Could.
Cassidy and Behnken’s function on Wednesday done the battery improve to the station’s IB ability channel, leaving only the 3B channel for a potential established of two spacewalks. Flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Handle Heart in Houston verified that the new battery was operational.
Having accomplished the main task of the extravehicular action (EVA), the astronauts then turned to accomplishing several “get-aheads.” Initial, they loosened the bolts keeping down the last established of nickel-hydrogen batteries and relocated footholds to get ready for the upcoming pair of spacewalks planned for afterwards this thirty day period.
The duo then split up, heading to individual pieces of the room station. Cassidy routed new electric power and ethernet cables on the S3 truss to put together for the installation of a new external wireless communications process. The electric power and knowledge functioning as a result of the cables will help an increased high-definition (High definition) digital camera and boost coverage space for long term spacewalkers’ helmet-mounted wireless cameras.
Behnken, in the meantime, headed to the stop of the starboard truss to clear away a no lengthier desired device referred to as an “H-Fixture” from the base of one of the solar array masts, which was installed ahead of the array was released. The elimination, nevertheless, did not go as prepared.
“I’ve been putting about as a lot force as I can into it to try to pull it off, but it is not interested in coming off,” Behnken reported to Mission Manage immediately after making an attempt to use a number of resources to pry the fixture from the mast. “I believe the ideal response may be a for a longer period tool inserted into the tether issue — although that could possibly crack the tether issue off. I can pull on it quite excellent, but it is definitely not moving at all.”
“We really do not feel there is anything at all else we can do to get it off, so we will have to reassess for upcoming EVAs,” replied astronaut-capcom Jasmin Moghbeli, calling off the removing endeavor from the floor.
Offering up on the H-Fixture’s removal, Behnken then reunited with Cassidy on the S3 truss to enable in routing the new ethernet cable prior to they both headed back again to the Quest airlock to head inside the house station. The spacewalk arrived to an conclusion at 1:14 p.m. EDT (1714 GMT) following 6 hours and 1 minute.
Similar: The International Place Station: within and out (infographic)
Wednesday’s spacewalk was the 229th in support of house station assembly and upkeep. It was the eighth spacewalk for both equally astronauts.
Cassidy now has invested a total of 43 hrs and 22 minutes and Behnken has expended a total of 49 several hours and 41 minutes spacewalking.
Robert Pearlman is a Area.com contributing writer and the editor of collectSPACE.com, a Place.com partner website and the main place history information publication. Adhere to collectSPACE on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Abide by us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Fb.
