2 US Astronauts Conduct Unplanned, Rapidly Executed Contingency Space Walk on Space Station

In the space of just 3 days, a pair of NASA astronauts conducted an unplanned and rapidly contingency space walk on the exterior of the space station on Tuesday, May 23 in order to replace a critical computer unit that failed over the weekend.

The spacewalk was conducted by Expedition 51 Commander Peggy Whitson – NASA’s most experienced astronaut – and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA managers ordered the spacewalk over the weekend when a computer unit known as a multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) unexpectedly failed Saturday morning, May 20.

The US dynamic duo successfully changed out the MDM computer relay box with a space unit on board the station. They also installed a pair of antennas on the station to enhance wireless communication for future spacewalks.

The MDM functions as a data relay box and is located on the S0 truss on the exterior of the US segment of the ISS, thereby necessitating a spacewalk by astronaut crew members.

After NASA engineers thoroughly reviewed the situation on Sunday, May 21, they gave the go ahead for Whitson and Fischer to carry out the hurriedly arranged extravehicular activity (EVA) spacewalk on Tuesday.

The spacewalk began Tuesday morning, May 23 at 7:20 a.m. EDT when the two NASA astronauts switched their spacesuits to battery power.

While Whitson focused on the MDM swap, Fischer worked on the antenna installation.

The relatively short EVA lasted a total of two hours and 46 minutes. It concluded at 10:06 a.m. EDT.

Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news.

Ken Kremer

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