Astronauts aboard the International Space Station complete their third spacewalk in eight days
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station complete their third spacewalk in eight days
Two NASA astronauts completed three spaceswalks in just eight days to prepare the International Space Station for future missions.
This weekend, a pair of American astronauts brought NASA one step closer to faster space travel. On Sunday, station commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts installed two sets of antennas and 400 feet of cable outside of the International Space Station (ISS). The three-day mission was a part of NASA’s partnership with Boeing and SpaceX, who are developing spacecraft capable of shuttling astronauts between Cape Canaveral, in Florida, and the ISS.
The spacewalk was the third in just eight days. After it was complete, Mission Control radioed the astronauts to congratulate them on their accomplishment. “You guys have done an outstanding job, even for two shuttle pilots,” Mission Control joked. NASA considers this the most complicated cable job in the 16 years the ISS has been in operation.
Unexpected Issues
Wilmore and Virts unreeled 364 feet of cable during their previous two spacewalks, on February 21 and 25. Like the previous two, Sunday’s job was complicated work, requiring the astronauts to use their hands for small and delicate tasks. Despite the tricky nature of the mission, the pair wrapped up their work in just five and a half hours. Their three outings spanned 19 hours in all.
On both last Wednesday and Sunday’s missions, Virts reported having water in his helmet once he was back inside the ISS. “I couldn’t feel it on my skin,” he reported to Mission Control. “I could just see a thin film on the visor.”
Engineers concluded that the water leak was the result of water droplets condensing during the repressurization of the airlock. They reported that the situation was no cause for concern, and had happened several times before with the same spacesuit. Still, Mission Control instructed Virts to pay extra attention to his suit during future spacewalks.
A Historic Walk
Wilmore is due to return to Earth next week, after a five and a half month mission. Virts is halfway through his expedition. Sunday’s spacewalk took place 50 years after the world’s first spacewalk, by Soviet cosmonaut, Alexei Leonov. “It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come from the very first steps outside,” Virts said.
Boeing and SpaceX are expected to begin manned missions to the ISS in 2017. In preparation, a pair of docking ports will fly up later this year, followed by capsules that will eventually hold astronauts on their journey from Earth to the ISS. “It’s an incredible testament to American ingenuity and know-how,” said Charlie Bolden in a statement. “And an extraordinary validation of the vision we laid out just a few years ago.”
Wilmore and Verts will speak with students and faculty at the School for the Talented and Gifted, in Dallas, Texas. The Earth-to-space call will take place at 12:15 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 5. View the event live at nasa.gov/nasatv.