Cable effort dogs spacewalkers in European lab upgrades

MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Creator

Jan. 27, 2021Updated: Jan. 27, 2021 12: 51 p.m.

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Space Station's European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Hopkins and Victor Glover went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Station's European lab and connect cables for an experiment platform awaiting activation for almost a year. (NASA via AP) — 1of4On this explain taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Hopkins and Victor Glover went spacewalking Wednesday to put in a excessive-tempo details hyperlink outside the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab and join cables for an experiment platform expecting activation for nearly a one year. (NASA by strategy of AP)AP

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Victor Glover makes his way to the International Space Station's European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Glover and Mike Hopkins went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Station's European lab and connect cables for an experiment platform awaiting activation for almost a year. (NASA via AP) — 2of4On this explain taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Victor Glover makes his manner to the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Glover and Mike Hopkins went spacewalking Wednesday to put in a excessive-tempo details hyperlink outside the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab and join cables for an experiment platform expecting activation for nearly a one year. (NASA by strategy of AP)AP

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins make routine maintenance on the International Space Station's European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Glover and Hopkins went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Station's European lab and connect cables for an experiment platform awaiting activation for almost a year. (NASA via AP) — 3of4On this explain taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins make routine maintenance on the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Glover and Hopkins went spacewalking Wednesday to put in a excessive-tempo details hyperlink outside the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab and join cables for an experiment platform expecting activation for nearly a one year. (NASA by strategy of AP)AP

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, center right, and Victor Glover, center left, work outside the International Space Station's European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. The duo went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the lab. (NASA via AP) — 4of4On this explain taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, heart factual, and Victor Glover, heart left, work outside the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. The duo went spacewalking Wednesday to put in a excessive-tempo details hyperlink outside the lab. (NASA by strategy of AP)AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacewalking astronauts encountered cable effort Wednesday whereas attempting to make improvements to the International Dwelling Attach’s European lab.

Most effective in actual fact one of many two lab upgrades was entirely successful.

NASA’s Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover installed a brand recent antenna on Columbus, in actual fact one of three excessive-tech labs on the orbiting outpost. It took just a few tries by scientists in Europe to win it grew to turn out to be on effectively. Not significant, the boxy antenna duvet was thrown overboard.

“Right here we trek. Countdown: 3-2-1,” Glover radioed as he heaved it safely some distance from the home procedure.

In varied places on the lab, Glover can even no longer hook up the total energy and details cables on a science review platform that is been expecting activation for nearly a one year. He managed to hook up four of six cables. They checked out effectively with energy flowing, enabling partial exhaust of the platform.

But connectors on two cables would no longer shut the total manner, and these needed to be capped. Engineers will strive and attain up with a work-spherical for a future spacewalk, so the total platform can home experiments.

SpaceX delivered the platform named Bartolomeo to the home procedure final spring. The shelf was installed with the procedure’s robotic arm, but needed to wait till Wednesday’s spacewalk to win crooked up.

Airbus, which built and runs Bartolomeo, is asking to promote home on the platform for non-public review projects. It’s Europe’s first business project outside the procedure.

Danish astronaut Andreas Morgensen guided the spacewalkers from Mission Control in Houston, where controllers wore masks and had been seated apart thanks to the pandemic. The spacewalk lasted seven hours.

Hopkins and Glover will manufacture a 2d spacewalk on Monday to total battery upgrades to the procedure’s explain voltaic energy grid. The latest spacewalk was the third for Hopkins and first for Glover.

They are allotment of SpaceX’s 2d astronaut flight that launched in November. Their docked Dragon pill was seen on NASA TV all the procedure in which thru the spacewalk.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Division receives toughen from the Howard Hughes Clinical Institute’s Division of Science Education. The AP is totally responsible for all advise material.

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