NASA and ESA astronauts conduct major spacewalk

Jessica Meir and Sophie Adenot left the International Space Station for a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk focused on navigation, communications and scientific equipment.

The astronauts planned to replace a reflector on the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. The reflector helps visiting spacecraft orient themselves during approach and docking. They also planned to install jumper cables to strengthen data-relay systems and replace a high-definition camera on the station’s exterior structure.

Another task involved preparing the radiator of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades. The detector has searched for traces of dark matter and antimatter outside the station since 2011.

Meir worked from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, operated from inside the station by astronaut Anil Menon. Adenot moved while tethered to the exterior, while flight engineer Jack Hathaway monitored the work and helped the astronauts with their spacesuits.

The spacewalk was Meir’s seventh and Adenot’s third. Adenot became the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk on August 18. Meir moved into third place among NASA astronauts for total spacewalks, behind Peggy Whitson with 10 and Suni Williams with nine. The outing was the 284th spacewalk supporting the station’s assembly, maintenance and upgrades, and the 99th conducted by U.S. astronauts.