Skip to content
The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

Title

Name

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Mindanao
  • Visayas
  • National
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • International
  • SciTech
  • Health & Wellness
  • Sports
  • About Us
    • Regional Advertising Rates
    • Contact Us
    • Profile
  • Home
  • International
  • Astronauts conduct spacewalk to perform urgent repairs – CBC News
  • Featured
  • International
  • Technology

Astronauts conduct spacewalk to perform urgent repairs – CBC News

Editor May 24, 2017

Spacewalking astronauts made urgent repairs at the International Space Station on Tuesday, three days after a critical relay box abruptly failed.

The 400-kilometre-high replacement job fell to commander Peggy Whitson, the world’s most experienced female astronaut. She now ties the record for most spacewalks by an American — 10.

Even though a second relay box managed the data load just fine after Saturday’s breakdown, NASA scrambled to put together a spacewalk in order to restore backup capability. The system is vital for operating the station’s solar panels, radiators and robotic equipment.

The failed data-relay unit — recently refurbished with upgraded software — was just installed in March. Hauling out a spare, Whitson photographed the faulty device to help engineers figure out what went wrong. Then she quickly removed it and bolted down the spare, an identical 50-pound (22-kilogram) box measuring 35 by 20 by 33 centimetres — officially known as an MDM or multiplexer-demultiplexer. But when Whitson discovered some metal flecks on some of the bolt holes, she had to pull the spare box back out.

Whitson and Fischer were just out spacewalking on May 12. That excursion was cut short by leaking station equipment, leaving two antenna installations undone. So Fischer completed the chore Tuesday.

Altogether, Tuesday’s spacewalk was expected to last no more than a few hours — exceedingly short by NASA standards.

“Here we go again,” French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said via Twitter as his U.S. colleagues suited up for the spacewalk. As they ventured outside, Pesquet cautioned, “You guys be safe.”

It was only the second spacewalk for Fischer, a rookie astronaut who arrived at the orbiting lab last month.

“What’s more awesome than being on the space station? Getting a call from mission control 4 another spacewalk! Dancing w/ the cosmos,” he said in a tweet.

After he had installed the antennas, Fischer radioed, “Oh my gosh. It’s so beautiful,” as the station sailed out over the tip of South America and over the South Atlantic.

Whitson is more than halfway through a 9 1/2-month mission. Currently on her third spaceflight, she’s spent more time off the planet than any other American and, at age 57, is the oldest woman to ever fly in space. Tuesday’s excursion put her in third place on the all-time spacewalking list, behind a Russian and fellow American with more hours out in the vacuum.

The space station also is home to two Russians.(Associated Press)

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/space-station-repairs-1.4127318

fb-share-icon
Tweet 20

Continue Reading

Previous: India bus plunge leaves 21 pilgrims dead – BBC News
Next: Fox drops Seth Rich murder story as Sean Hannity attacks ‘liberal fascism’ – The Guardian

Related News

Bountiful-harvest
  • Featured
  • Mindanao Post

Aquaponics to conservation: How a young farmer is growing change

Editor May 28, 2025
contact-lens
  • Technology

Contact lenses that let humans see near-infrared light developed

Editor May 26, 2025
UPD-CS-Biologist
  • Technology

UP-Developed model shows promise in detecting early signs of Metastasis in Breast Cancer Patients

Editor May 26, 2025

Trending News

Manny Pacquiao Returns to Rewrite History – The Fight That Will Inspire a Nation Pacquiao 1
  • Sports

Manny Pacquiao Returns to Rewrite History – The Fight That Will Inspire a Nation

May 29, 2025
Optum Philippines celebrates first anniversary of Davao Hub and Davaoeño talent MAJ03649 2
  • Business

Optum Philippines celebrates first anniversary of Davao Hub and Davaoeño talent

May 29, 2025
PhilHealth Speeds Up Payments, releases over P592M to NKTI in less than 5 Months PhilHealth1 3
  • Health

PhilHealth Speeds Up Payments, releases over P592M to NKTI in less than 5 Months

May 29, 2025
BARMM brings medical missions to IDP shelters in Marawi Health-mission 4
  • Mindanao Post

BARMM brings medical missions to IDP shelters in Marawi

May 28, 2025
911 in Camiguin town logs over 500 calls since January Service-expansion 5
  • Mindanao Post

911 in Camiguin town logs over 500 calls since January

May 28, 2025
  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Blog
Copyright © 2025. The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. All Rights Reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.