The Pressurized Mating Adapter is now connected to the Tranquility module on the International Space Station. There was an unfortunate loss of a shield from the Tranquility module, as well. This is detailed, below.
Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:33 p.m. EDT. During the spacewalk, which lasted just over seven hours, the two astronauts successfully reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of two international docking adapters to be delivered to the complex to support the dockings of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft in the future.
The duo were also tasked with installing four thermal protection shields on the Tranquility module of the International Space Station. The shields were required to cover the port where the PMA-3 was removed earlier in the week and robotically installed on the Harmony module. During the spacewalk, one of the shields was inadvertently lost. The loss posed no immediate danger to the astronauts and Kimbrough and Whitson went on to successfully install the remaining shields on the common berthing mechanism port.
A team from the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston devised a plan for the astronauts to finish covering the port with the PMA-3 cover Whitson removed earlier in the day. The plan worked, and the cover was successfully installed, providing thermal protection and micrometeoroid and orbital debris cover for the port.
To round out the spacewalk, Kimbrough and Whitson also installed a different shield around the base of the PMA-3 adapter for micrometeoroid protection. The shield was nicknamed a cummerbund as it fits around the adapter similar to a tuxedo’s cummerbund worn around the waist.
Having completed her eighth spacewalk, Whitson now holds the record for the most spacewalks and accumulated time spacewalking by a female astronaut.
Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 1,243 hours and 42 minutes outside the station during 199 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory.
For more information about the International Space Station, visit www.nasa.gov/station.
On Thursday, NASA performed more spacewalks:
Here is another great photo taken last year:
Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA ventured outside the International Space Station for a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk on Thursday, March 30. The spacewalk will began at about 8 a.m. EDT, with complete coverage on NASA Television and the agency’s website that started at 6:30 a.m.
Kimbrough and Whitson reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), which was robotically moved Sunday, March 26 from the Tranquility module to the Harmony module on station. The PMA-3 provides the pressurized interface between the station modules and the docking adapter. The duo also installed the second of the two upgraded computer relay boxes on the station’s truss and installed shields and covers on PMA-3 and the now-vacant common berthing mechanism port on Tranquility.
This will be the 199th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Kimbrough will embark on the sixth spacewalk of his career. This will be the eighth spacewalk by Whitson, who will surpass NASA astronaut Suni Williams’ record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut.
Earlier on Thursday, NASA announced that Peggy Whitson broke the female spacewalk record, previously held by Sunita Williams:
At 11:51 a.m. EDT, Peggy Whitson broke the record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, previously held by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. This was Whitson’s eighth spacewalk.
So far, Whitson and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough have successfully installed an upgraded computer relay box and hooked up cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of two international docking adapters to be delivered to the complex to support the dockings of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft in the future.
The duo were also tasked with installing four thermal protection shields on the Tranquility module of the International Space Station. The shields were required to cover the port where the PMA-3 was removed earlier in the week and robotically installed on the Harmony module. During the spacewalk, one of the shields was inadvertently lost. The loss posed no immediate danger to the astronauts and Kimbrough and Whitson went on to successfully install the remaining shields on the common berthing mechanism port.
A team from the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston devised a plan for the astronauts to finish covering the port with the PMA-3 cover Whitson removed earlier in the day. The plan worked, and the cover was successfully installed, providing thermal protection and micrometeoroid and orbital debris cover for the port.
The spacewalk lasted six and a half hours.
Written By: Mark Garcia NASA
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