This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work—for YOU.
Space Station Crew Removes Ammonia Pump, Next Spacewalk Set for Tuesday
“NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins completed a 5 hour and 28 minute spacewalk Saturday to remove a faulty ammonia pump on the International Space Station. A second spacewalk to install a new unit now is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 24.”
Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member... More by Keith Cowing
Comments are closed.
NASA Watch: Your support is needed, support independent journalism.
Thank you for whatever support you can provide. We recently launched this upgraded website which will allow us to expand our coverage. But the design and hosting come at cost, as does adding new services. We're also going looking to add new journalists as we expand.
We'll send a verification code to %EMAIL%.
Space suit issue leads to delay of second spacewalk.
Published December 22, 2013
Associated Press
Several hours after Saturday’s spacewalk ended, Mission Control bumped spacewalk 2 to Tuesday to give Mastracchio enough time to prepare a spare suit. His original suit was compromised when he inadvertently turned on a water switch in the air lock at the end of Saturday’s excursion. NASA officials said Saturday night that it’s unclear whether a third spacewalk will be needed and when it might occur, if required. A third spacewalk had been slated for Christmas Day before the latest turn of events. NASA requires a day off between spacewalks for astronaut rest.
http://www.foxnews.com/scie…
Is this “water switch” on the spacesuit itself or on the air lock?
Bob Clark
Pure speculation on my part, but something seemed out of sorts during this EVA. It is highly unusual to decline the opportunity to perform “get ahead” tasks, particularly with less than 6 hours elapsed. The configuration issue is unusual as well.
Turns out the EMUs they used are over 30 years old – from the shuttle era. Of course they are fitted with newer componentss but when will the next generation spacesuits debut?
The Z-1 rear-entry suit is meant to be tested on orbit in 2015. But NASA went with ACES because of Orion.