Spacewalkers Wrap Up X-Ray Telescope Repair Job and More
Astronaut Suni Williams replaces a planar reflector, a visiting vehicles navigation device, near the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port during her eighth spacewalk. Credit: NASA+
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague concluded their spacewalk at 2:01 p.m. EST on Jan. 16. It was the fourth spacewalk for Hague and the eighth for Williams, and it was the 273rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Williams and Hague completed their primary objectives, including removing and replacing a rate gyro assembly, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on the NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) x-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector device on one of the international docking adapters. The pair also checked access areas and connector tools that astronauts will use for future Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer maintenance.
Two Astronauts Start Spacewalk for Astrophysics Hardware Work
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, are pictured evaluating their spacesuits in a pressurized configuration in the Quest airlock.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams began a spacewalk at 8:01 a.m. EST at the International Space Station.
The duo will remove and replace a rate gyro assembly that helps provide orientation control for the station, install patches to cover damaged areas of light filters for an X-ray telescope called NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), and replace a reflector device used for navigational data on one of the international docking adapters. The pair also will check access areas and connector tools that will be used for future maintenance work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Hague is crew member 1 wearing a suit with red stripes. Williams is spacewalk crew member 2, wearing an unmarked suit.
NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA+ Spacewalk Coverage Begins for X-Ray Telescope Repair
NASA astronaut Nick Hague takes an out-of-this-world “space-selfie” during a spacewalk on Aug. 21, 2019.
NASA’s coverage is underway on NASA+ as two astronauts will conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at approximately 8 a.m. EST and last about six and a half hours.
Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague will exit the station’s Quest airlock to remove and replace a rate gyro assembly that helps provide orientation control for the station, install patches to cover damaged areas of light filters for an X-ray telescope called NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), and replace a reflector device used for navigational data on one of the international docking adapters.
Additionally, the pair will check access areas and connector tools astronauts will use for future maintenance work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Hague will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and wear a suit with red stripes. Williams will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and wear an unmarked suit. This will be the fourth for Hague and the eighth for Williams. It will be the 273rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Crew Wraps Up Spacewalk Preps, Keeps Up Human Research
Astronauts Don Pettit (top) and Butch Wilmore (bottom) assist astronaut Nick Hague (center) as he tries on and evaluates his spacesuit in a pressurized configuration inside the Quest airlock.
Two NASA astronauts have finalized preparations for the first spacewalk of 2025 to service astrophysics hardware on the International Space Station. The rest of the Expedition 72 crew split the day between assisting the upcoming spacewalkers and keeping up human research.
Flight Engineer Nick Hague and space station Commander Suni Williams, both from NASA, will set their spacesuits to internal battery power at 8 a.m. EST on Thursday beginning a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. They will exit the Quest airlock and patch light leaks in the NICER X-ray telescope then ready the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades. The experienced spacewalking duo will also replace advanced engineering hardware to maintain station orientation and provide navigation data. NASA+ begins its spacewalk coverage at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Hague and Williams started Wednesday in Quest reviewing the procedures they will use to fulfill their spacewalking tasks. The pair also staged spacesuits and organized the specialized tools inside Quest. NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore assisted with the spacewalking preparations then joined Hague and Williams for a readiness review with mission controllers on the ground at the end of their shift.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner were back on human research duty on Wednesday attaching sensors to their forehead, fingers, and toes measuring how blood flows to the tiniest vessels in microgravity. Scientists want to understand how the human circulatory system in the limbs of crew members adapt to living long-term in microgravity. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov took a fitness test pedaling on an exercise cycle while electrodes measured his aerobic and cardiovascular output ensuring his health in weightlessness. All three cosmonauts also continued their orbital maintenance tasks servicing a variety of life support gear throughout the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment.
Health Checks and Suit Installs Before Thursday Spacewalk for Science Upkeep
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore (center) assists Suni Williams (left) and Nick Hague (right), both NASA astronauts, as they prepare to evaluate their spacesuits in a pressurized configuration.
Spacewalk preparations continued aboard the International Space Station as two astronauts conducted health checks and installed hardware on their spacesuits. Biology, physics, and lab maintenance also rounded out the Expedition 72 schedule on Tuesday.
Flight Engineer Nick Hague and space station Commander Suni Williams, both from NASA, began their shifts on Tuesday with standard health exams taken prior to the start of a spacewalk. The duo measured their vital signs including heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature, and participated in a hearing test. Next, the two spacewalkers installed lithium-ion batteries and tested electrical and communication components on their spacesuits. Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore also assisted the pair and readied cameras the astronauts will carry with them into the vacuum of space.
Hague and Williams will set their spacesuits to battery power at approximately 8 a.m. EST on Thursday signifying the official start of the first spacewalk of 2025. The experienced spacewalkers will exit the Quest airlock and spend about six-and-a-half hours servicing astrophysics hardware including the NICER X-ray telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Also on the task list, are the replacement of a rate gyro assembly to maintain station orientation and the replacement of a planar reflector to provide navigation data. NASA+ begins its spacewalk coverage at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Earlier in his shift, Wilmore set up and calibrated genetic sequencing hardware that analyzes station water samples to identify bacteria and fungi species. NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit started his day on orbital plumbing tasks before removing and processing research samples collected from the Gradient Heating Furnace that enables semiconductor crystal growth research.
Working in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment, all three cosmonauts, including Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, studied how microgravity affects blood flow through the tiniest vessels in the human circulatory system. The trio also replaced electronics gear and serviced orbital plumbing hardware throughout the day on Tuesday.
