NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir are preparing for a spacewalk next week to repair a malfunctioning wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA announced that the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8.35 am EDT (6.05 pm IST) on June 30 and is expected to last about six hours and 40 minutes. During the mission, the astronauts will replace a faulty wrist joint on Canadarm2, a critical piece of station equipment that has been operating for more than 25 years.
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) investigated the issue and concluded that the damaged component must be replaced during a spacewalk. A spare wrist joint is already available on the station and will be installed to restore the robotic arm’s full range of motion.
How are astronauts preparing for the repair?
Preparations for the repair are already underway. Williams recently tested his spacesuit with assistance from European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, checking communications, mobility and life-support systems inside the station’s Quest airlock.
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Williams and Meir also reviewed detailed 3D simulations of the repair procedures and serviced the emergency jet packs that will be attached to their spacesuits during the operation. Meir additionally prepared specialized pistol-grip tools designed for use in microgravity.
Meanwhile, Adenot and NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway rehearsed their support roles for the spacewalk, including operating Canadarm2 from inside the station to position it for the repair work.
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Elsewhere aboard the ISS, Hathaway worked on deploying CubeSats developed by university students for communications and technology research. Russian cosmonauts conducted eye-health studies to better understand the effects of long-duration spaceflight, while additional experiments focused on testing artificial intelligence tools to improve crew efficiency and communication in space.
NASA and CSA officials are expected to provide further details about the upcoming repair mission during a joint briefing on June 25.
