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

Desk 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

Ursula-von-der-Leyen
  • International

EU to ban all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, says von der Leyen

Desk Editor May 7, 2025
India-Pakistan War
  • International

3 civilians killed in Jammu and Kashmir in cross-border firing by Pakistan: Indian Army

Desk Editor May 7, 2025
P20rice-PIA
  • Featured
  • Visayas

Tears of gratitude: Elderly Cebuano first to benefit from PBBM’s P20 Rice Program

Desk Editor May 7, 2025

Trending News

Cebu province stocks 11K sacks of rice for P20/kilo program resumption NFA-rice-PIA 1

Cebu province stocks 11K sacks of rice for P20/kilo program resumption

May 9, 2025
PhilHealth and MMDA unveil “Payong ng Kapanatagan” mural along EDSA to celebrate Public Service and Health Protection PhilHealth_MMDA-Mural-Unveiling2 2

PhilHealth and MMDA unveil “Payong ng Kapanatagan” mural along EDSA to celebrate Public Service and Health Protection

May 9, 2025
Self-rated poverty drops to 42%, food poverty to 35% – OCTA Philippines_Poverty_Mel_Hattie 3

Self-rated poverty drops to 42%, food poverty to 35% – OCTA

May 9, 2025
PH to become $2-T economy by 2050 Bonifacio-Global-City_and_Makati_skylines 4

PH to become $2-T economy by 2050

May 8, 2025
Metrobank Tops 2025 PDS Annual Awards Metrobank-Annual-Awards 5

Metrobank Tops 2025 PDS Annual Awards

May 8, 2025
  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Blog
Copyright © 2025. The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.