Spacewalk Tool Bag Mishap: Astronauts Misplace Equipment in Outer Space
NASA astronauts, Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, worked outside the space station for maintenance tasks. Image: NASA TV
Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara of NASA finished their spacewalk at 2:47 p.m. EST, which started at 8:05 a.m. lasting 6 hours and 42 minutes. Moghbeli, identified as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1), donned a suit distinguished by red stripes, while O’Hara, extravehicular crew member 2 (EV2), wore a suit without markings.
The duo achieved one of two main goals of the spacewalk: they replaced a trundle bearing assembly on the solar alpha rotary joint, which helps the solar arrays follow the Sun, ensuring electricity generation for the space station. Following this, Mission Control confirmed the optimal function of the solar array. Additionally, the astronauts removed a bar fixture for future roll-out solar array installment and adjusted a cable that was obstructing an outer camera.
Postponed Activities and Tool Bag Incident
The original plan was to remove a communications electronics box, known as the Radio Frequency Group. However, due to time constraints, they could only inspect the insulation around it, reposition the insulation, and decide to tackle this in a subsequent spacewalk.
In the process, a tool bag was unintentionally set adrift. External cameras on the station identified the floating tool bag. Fortunately, these tools were not vital for the rest of the operation. After studying its path, Mission Control deduced that the chance of it coming into contact with the station again was minimal, ensuring the crew’s safety without any immediate action.
Future Endeavors and Resupply Launch
Both Moghbeli and O’Hara are participating in a research mission on the space station, aiming to boost scientific understanding and test new technologies that will be beneficial for upcoming exploration missions, like those under NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA and SpaceX have scheduled a launch for 9:16 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 7, which is the 29th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. This extra window will facilitate the final preparations before the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its cargo Dragon spacecraft take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch will be broadcasted on NASA Television starting at 8:45 p.m. The cargo, weighing around 6,500 pounds and comprised of supplies, research materials, and hardware, is expected to dock with the space station just before 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, with telecast starting at 10:15 a.m.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Spacewalk Tool Bag Incident
What happened during the recent spacewalk by NASA astronauts?
During the recent spacewalk, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara performed maintenance tasks outside the space station. They completed one of the two main objectives, which was replacing a critical component on the solar array to ensure power generation for the station. However, they had to defer another task for a future spacewalk due to time constraints.
Why did the astronauts postpone the removal of the Radio Frequency Group?
The astronauts had planned to remove the Radio Frequency Group, a communications electronics box, but they didn’t have enough time during the spacewalk to complete this task. Instead, they lifted some insulation to better assess the situation and decided to defer the task for a future spacewalk.
What happened to a tool bag during the spacewalk, and was there any risk to the space station?
During the spacewalk, one of the tool bags was accidentally lost. However, it was determined that the tools in the bag were not needed for the remainder of the mission. Mission Control analyzed the bag’s trajectory and concluded that the risk of it recontacting the station was low, ensuring the safety of the onboard crew and the space station without requiring any immediate action.
What are the future plans for these astronauts and the space station?
Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara are participating in a science mission on the space station, aiming to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. They are part of ongoing efforts to expand our understanding of space and prepare for future missions.
When is the next resupply mission to the International Space Station, and what will it carry?
NASA and SpaceX are planning to launch the 29th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, November 7, at 9:16 p.m. EST. The cargo Dragon spacecraft will carry approximately 6,500 pounds of supplies, research materials, and hardware, supporting the ongoing operations and experiments on the space station.
More about Spacewalk Tool Bag Incident
- NASA’s official website
- SpaceX official website
- Information on the International Space Station
- Details about NASA’s Artemis program
- More about spacewalks and astronaut activities
- Specifics on the Radio Frequency Group
3 comments
Moghbeli & O’Hara rockin’ the spacewalk, even if they didn’t finish the job, safety first, y’all!
space missions are amazin’, let’s keep explorin’, Artemis program goin’ strong!
cool stuff happening in space! astronauts doin’ spacewalks, lost a toolbag but it’s ok, nasa & spacex launchin’ more stuff!