Three first-timers face the void to repair the orbital laboratory
In short: Space exploration often relies on the steady hands of veterans, but the International Space Station's maintenance sometimes falls to the debutants. For Expedition 41, three astronauts prepared to step into the vacuum for the first time in their careers to perform high-priority repairs on the station's power and cooling systems.
On October 7 and October 15, NASA Flight Engineers Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst (ESA) teamed up with Barry Wilmore to conduct two consecutive extravehicular activities (EVAs). These missions were significant not just for their technical goals, but because all three participants were performing their first-ever spacewalks. The complexity of these tasks required precise coordination, with Wiseman serving as the primary extravehicular crew member (EV1) for both outings. The first spacewalk, scheduled for October 7, involved a six-and-a-half-hour duration to address critical hardware issues.
To support the station, the team must move a broken cooling pump to long-term storage on the truss and set up a fresh relay system. This relay was essential for providing backup power to the mobile transporter, the robotic arm responsible for moving large components around the exterior of the station.
To distinguish the roles during the broadcast, Wiseman wore a suit with red stripes, while Gerst wore a suit without them. The second spacewalk on October 15 was equally demanding, again lasting six-and-a-half hours. A high-priority goal involves swapping out a voltage regulator, known as a sequential shunt unit electronics box, on the starboard truss following its mid-May malfunction. While the station had remained functional on seven of its eight power channels, this repair was deemed a high priority. Additionally, the crew worked to relocate external cameras and equipment to prepare the station for international docking adapters, facilitating future commercial crew vehicle missions. These two events marked the 182nd and 183rd spacewalks in the history of station assembly and maintenance.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: ISS Space Walk Briefing for Expedition Crew 41 from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Texas
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