ISS Russian Cosmonauts conduct Third Spacewalk (EVA) of October

Spacewalker Maxim Suraev works outside the Poisk mini-research module in January 2010.

Image Credit: NASA TV

Russian spacewalkers Max Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev opened the Pirs docking compartment hatch to the vacuum of space at 9:28 a.m. EDT to begin the third spacewalk for Expedition 41 crew members in as many weeks.

Their spacewalk is expected to last six hours. Two U.S. spacewalks took place Oct. 7 and 15.

Russian spacewalkers Max Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev.

Image Credit: NASA TV

The duo’s first task is to remove the Radiometriya experiment that was installed on the Zvezda service module in 2011 and which is no longer required for data collection.

They will then jettison it for a later reentry into the atmosphere where it will burn up. The experiment gathered data to help scientists predict seismic events and earthquakes.

The veteran cosmonauts will then move on to another external experiment and remove its protective cover.

They will photograph the Expose-R experiment before taking a break during the orbital night period.

After orbital sunrise, they will take more photographs of the work area, translate back to Pirs and place the protective cover inside.

The European Space Agency study exposes organic and biological samples to the harsh environment of space and observes how they are affected by cosmic radiation, vacuum and night and day cycles.

Read the full story here

International Space Station: Astronauts continue with Business as Usual

Commander Maxim Suraev and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst are pictured in the Tranquility node of the International Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA

The six-person Expedition 41 crew of the International Space Station tackled a range of biomedical research and cargo transfers Friday, capping off a week that included the second of two U.S. spacewalks and preparations for a Russian spacewalk on Oct. 22.

For Flight Engineers Reid Wiseman of NASA and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, most of the day’s science activity focused on a pair of protein crystal growth experiments, which utilize the station’s microgravity environment to grow protein crystals too fragile to form in Earth’s gravity.

Gerst used a reflective microscope to capture images of samples from the NanoRacks-Protein Crystal Growth-1 study, which uses commercial off-the shelf equipment to grow protein crystals on slides.

Later, Gerst joined Wiseman to deactivate and pack up the completed Commercial Protein Crystal Growth-HM experiment.

This investigation is expanding on an ongoing program into the complex realm of membrane proteins that help cells identify each other for immune responses and move molecules to and from a cell’s interior.

Pure crystals that yield information about the protein’s structure will open the way for a coherent, structure-based design of a broader range of medicines for treating diseases and disorders.

The Commercial Protein Crystal Growth-HM experiment, along with about 3,800 pounds of other cargo, is slated to return to Earth on Tuesday aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft.

After the robotics team at Houston’s Mission Control Center uses the Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach Dragon from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node, Wiseman, with assistance from Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore, will oversee the release of Dragon for its parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of California.

ISS Astronauts Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore prepare for EVA

Flight Engineers Reid Wiseman (right) and Barry Wilmore spent most of the day on Tuesday, Oct. 14 completing preparations for their 6 ½-hour Oct. 15 spacewalk. 

The two astronauts set up their spacesuits and tools in the equipment lock of the Quest airlock. 

Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, who is coordinating spacewalk activities from inside the station, joined Wiseman and Wilmore for a review of spacewalk procedures.

NASA Astronauts Wiseman and Wilmore Complete Spacewalk (EVA)

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore work outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Oct. 15, 2014.

Credit: NASA TV

Two NASA astronauts working outside the International Space Station raced against the clock during a spacewalk today (Oct. 15).

NASA's Reid Wiseman and Barry "Butch" Wilmore performed a 6.5-hour-long spacewalk that included one particularly tricky task that had to be started and completed when the orbiting outpost was in orbital night.

Wilmore and Wiseman managed to remove and replace a power regulator that shorted out in May during the short amount of time when the station experienced night.

"Whoop!" one of the astronauts exulted after the replacement regulator was installed. The regulator, which is used to regulate power from one of the station's solar arrays, needed to be changed out in order to restore the station to full power.

Mission controllers watched a clock ticking down the time the astronauts had to complete the task.

The spacewalk officially began at 8:16 a.m. EDT (1216 GMT) and ended 6 hours and 34 minutes later.

The two astronauts also removed a faulty camera from the outside of the station and installed a new one.

Wilmore and Wiseman also moved some equipment to get ready for the eventual relocation of the station's Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) in 2015, NASA officials said.

PMM was built by the Italian Space Agency and is attached to the Earth-facing side of Unity module.

Despite their hard day of work, the astronauts still had time to do a little sightseeing while outside the space station.

They both got some good views of Earth during the spacewalk.

"That is amazing," one of the astronauts said when the spacewalkers spotted a possibly erupting volcano while flying above Earth.

"I see Cairo," Wiseman said during a pass over Egypt. "Can't quite make out the pyramids, though."

The PMM needs to be moved in order to make way for a pair of commercial crewed vehicles that could begin flying astronauts to the orbiting outpost as early as in 2017.

Astronauts will also need to install a set of international docking adaptors that should fly to the station in 2015 for the commercial vehicles.

The two October spacewalks kick off a series of EVAs (extravehicular activities) designed to make way for the new private spaceships once they start delivering astronauts to the station.

"We're going to be doing the things we need to do on these EVAs to prep for moving some modules around," Kenny Todd, space station integration operations manager, said during a news conference before the spacewalks.

"All that is in preparation for being able to support future [commercial] crewed vehicles coming to [the] station. We're trying to get out in front of that … We'll be prepping for moving modules; we'll be installing a new docking adapter system. All of that will be happening throughout the next several months on board the station."

Astronauts resume routine spacewalks for the ISS, NASA and ESA - Video Update

In this image taken from NASA TV, American astronaut Reid Wiseman works outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. 

Wiseman and German spaceman Alexander Gerst are performing NASA's first routine maintenance outside the International Space Station in more than a year. 

Credit: AP Photo/NASA

Spacewalker Alexander Gerst rides the Canadarm2 to a work site on the International Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA TV

Two spacewalking astronauts moved an old, broken pump into permanent storage Tuesday, NASA's first routine maintenance outside the International Space Station in more than a year.

American Reid Wiseman and German Alexander Gerst, both first-time spacewalkers, cheerfully completed the long overdue job 260 miles (418.41 kilometers) up.

"I can't wait to see these pictures," Gerst said.



U.S.-based spacewalks were curtailed in July 2013 after an Italian astronaut nearly drowned because of a flooded helmet. NASA solved the problem with the suit's water-cooling system. Then concern arose over the spacesuit batteries.

ESA Astronaut Alexander Gerst on the CanadArm-2 robotic arm during the latest EVA.

Credit: Nasa TV

New batteries arrived late last month, clearing the way for Tuesday's spacewalk and another one scheduled for next week.

Gerst clutched the 780-pound pump, about the size of a double-door refrigerator, as he rode on the end of the station's big robot arm.

NASA's Reid Wiseman and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst performed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Oct. 7, 2014.

Credit: NASA TV

The crane swung him from the pump's temporary location to the new permanent spot in about 12 minutes.

"You should see my view right now," Gerst said, referring to the sprawling space station, lit up like gold in the darkness.

The pump ended up in short-term storage during urgent spacewalking repairs to the station's ammonia-cooling system last December.

NASA did not want to waste time back then parking the pump in its long-term garage, given all the spacesuit worries.

So the job was deferred, until now.

With Wiseman looking on, Gerst slid the pump into its permanent slot, a large rectangular sheath formed by white protective blankets, and then bolted it down.

"Nice work," Mission Control radioed.

The spacewalkers hustled through their other chores, replacing a camera light and installing a power-relay device for the station's robot-arm railcar, before calling it quits.

As the six-hour excursion drew to a close, Wiseman thanked the hundreds if not thousands of people who worked on NASA's spacewalk recovery team over the past year.

"Alex and I, we'd like to express just our huge gratitude for getting us back into planned EVAs (spacewalks), safely outside, safely back in," Wiseman said. EVA is NASA talk for extra-vehicular activity.

"It's a good day for NASA" ... "and the European Space Agency." he added.

A follow-up spacewalk is scheduled for Oct. 15 to further whittle down NASA's lengthy to-do list, on hold since the 2013 close call.

That spacewalk will be conducted by Wiseman and fellow American Butch Wilmore, a newcomer.

A week after that, two of the three Russians on board will perform a spacewalk on their country's side of the orbiting outpost. The Moscow-led spacewalks were unaffected by NASA's spacesuit troubles.

Alexander Gerst Tests his Spacesuit for EVA

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst testing his spacesuit on the International Space Station in preparation for 7 October 2014 when he will venture into open space with NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman on a seven-hour spacewalk.

Their main job is to move a failed cooling pump that was left in a temporary location by previous spacewalkers to its final position.

Alexander and Reid will then install a unit that will allow the Station’s robotic arm to remain powered even when it is being relocated.

This sortie will be the 27th US-led spacewalk. Reid has the callsign EV1 and will be wearing the suit with red stripes, while Alexander will be EV2 without stripes.

The two spacewalkers will work together, independently. To start, Reid will set up the new home for the pump while Alexander retrieves the unit from further along the Station's truss. Reid will then begin their second task of installing the arm power unit, stopping at times to refasten Alexander's tether to let him move around safely.

The duo will fix the pump to its final resting place together and then work in unison on the robotic arm.

Spacewalks are carefully choreographed affairs requiring meticulous planning and perfect coordination between the astronauts and ground control.

ESA's lead mission director for Space Station Expeditions 41 and 42, Alex Nitsch, is responsible for the European part of Alexander's Blue Dot mission.

Based at the Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, Alex notes: "Preparing and rehearsing for a spacewalk takes weeks and involves all the partners at the Station control centres in Houston, USA and Moscow, Russia."

ISS Astronauts continue preparations for Spacewalk (EVA)

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Expedition 41 flight engineer, works with tools and equipment on a spacesuit in the Quest airlock of the International Space Station in preparation for two spacewalks scheduled in October 2014.

Image Credit: NASA

With the first planned excursion of Expedition 41 just a week away, the International Space Station’s six-person crew spent Tuesday preparing spacewalking tools and equipment, while managing a packed agenda of scientific research and maintenance.

Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency and the team of five flight engineers began the day at 2 a.m. EDT, and after some time for morning hygiene, breakfast and an inspection of the station, they conducted a daily planning conference with the flight control teams around the world.

Afterward, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst went to work in the equipment lock section of the Quest airlock to stage the equipment they’ll need in order to prepare for spacewalks set for Oct. 7 and 15.

During the first six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, slated to begin on Oct. 7 around 8:10 a.m., Wiseman and Gerst will transfer a previously uninstalled pump module from its temporary stowage location to the External Stowage Platform-2.

The two spacewalkers also will install the Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly (MTRA) that adds the capability to provide “keep-alive” power to the system that moves the station’s robotic arm between worksites.

The two astronauts will venture out on the station’s starboard truss to replace a voltage regulator that failed in mid-May.

Although the station has since operated normally on seven of its eight power channels, replacement of the regulator, known as a sequential shunt unit, is considered a high priority.

ISS Spacewalkers Deploy Nanosatellite, Install and Retrieve Science

Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev deploys the Chasqui 1 nanosatellite outside the Pirs docking compartment near the beginning of Monday's spacewalk. 

Image courtesy NASA TV.

Two Expedition 40 spacewalkers, clad in Russian Orlan spacesuits, wrapped up a 5-hour, 11-minute excursion outside the International Space Station at 3:13 p.m. EDT Monday.

Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev deployed a small science satellite, retrieved and installed experiment packages and inspected components on the exterior of the orbital laboratory.

Shortly after the spacewalk began at

10:02 a.m., Artemyev manually deployed Chasqui 1, a Peruvian nanosatellite designed to take pictures of the Earth with a pair of cameras and transmit the images to a ground station.

The project is part of an effort by the National University of Engineering in Peru to gain experience in satellite technology and emerging information and communication technologies.

The spacewalkers installed the EXPOSE-R2 experiment package, a European Space Agency-sponsored suite of experiments, on the exterior of the Zvezda service module.

The package includes two astrobiology studies that will investigate biomaterials and extremophiles - organisms that are tolerant of environmental extremes.

Results from these experiments may contribute to life-detection strategies for future robotic exploration of Mars.

While on the conical section of Zvezda, they attached a handrail clamp holder for the Automatic Phased Array antenna.

Skvortsov and Artemyev set up that communication systems antenna during their first spacewalk on June 19.

The cosmonauts also set up the Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring unit on the Poisk Mini Research Module-2.

Skvortsov and Artemyev retrieved several science packages designed to expose a variety of materials to the harsh environment of space.

While on Poisk, they removed one cassette and install another on a materials experiment known by its Russian acronym SKK. The spacewalkers also retrieved a panel of sample materials from the Vinoslivost payload.

The retrieval of a Biorisk experiment container outside Pirs completed the science package roundup for the two cosmonauts. Biorisk studies the effects of microbes on spacecraft structures.

Skvortsov and Artemyev also collected residue samples from a window on Zvezda.

During the spacewalk, Commander Steve Swanson was isolated to the Poisk module and his Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft docked there due to the closure of hatches in support of the excursion. Swanson, Skvortsov and Artemyev arrived at the station March 27 aboard that Soyuz.

Spacewalking astronauts release Peruvian nanosatellite Chasqui 1

This photo provided by NASA shows Chasqui 1, a tiny Peruvian research satellite, right of center, launched by spacewalking astronauts aboard the International Space Station, Monday, Aug. 18, 2014. 

The satellite, weighing barely 2 pounds, holds instruments to measure temperature and pressure and cameras that will photograph Earth. 

Credit: NASA

Spacewalking astronauts launched Chasqui 1 a tiny Peruvian research satellite Monday, setting it loose on a mission to observe Earth.

Russian astronaut Oleg Artemiev cast the 4-inch (10.1-centimeter) box off with his gloved right hand as the International Space Station sailed 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the cloud-flecked planet.

The nanosatellite gently tumbled as it cleared the vicinity of the orbiting complex, precisely as planned.

"One, two, three," someone called out in Russian as Artemiev let go of the satellite.

Cameras watched as the nanosatellite, named Chasqui 1 after the Inca messengers who were fleet of foot, increased its distance and grew smaller.

Artemiev's Russian spacewalking partner, Alexander Skvortsov, tried to keep his helmet camera aimed at the satellite as it floated away.

The satellite, barely 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms), holds instruments to measure temperature and pressure, and cameras that will photograph Earth.

It's a technological learning experience for the National University of Engineering in Lima. A Russian cargo ship delivered the device earlier this year.

Less than a half-hour into the spacewalk, the satellite was on its way, flying freely.

With that completed, Artemiev and Skvortsov set about installing fresh science experiments outside the Russian portion of the space station and retrieving old ones.

"Be careful," Russian Mission Control outside Moscow warned as the astronauts made their way to their next work site.

They also collected samples from a window of the main Russian living compartment; engineers want to check for any engine residue from visiting spacecraft.

The spacewalkers wrapped up their work early. Flight controllers thanked them for their five-hour effort.

The two conducted a spacewalk in June, a few months after moving into the space station. Four other men live there: another Russian, two Americans and one German.

U.S. spacewalks, meanwhile, remain on hold.

NASA hoped to resume them this month after a yearlong investigation but delayed the activity until fall to get fresh spacesuit batteries on board.

The SpaceX company will deliver the batteries on a Dragon supply ship next month. Engineers are concerned about the fuses of the on-board batteries.

Before the battery issue, NASA was stymied by a spacesuit problem that nearly cost an Italian astronaut his life last summer.

Luca Parmitano's helmet flooded with water from the suit's cooling system, and he barely made it back inside.

The investigation into that incident is now complete, with safety improvements made to the U.S. spacesuits.

ISS Preparation for ESA ATV-5 Spacewalk

ISS astronaut crew prepares for upcoming spacewalk (EVA) during ESA ATV-5's slow trek to the space station.

Credit: NASA

International Space Station: Science and spacewalks

Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortzov and Oleg Artemyev spent over six hours working outside the International Space Station on 19 June 2014. 

This picture was taken by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst from inside the orbital outpost. 

Credit: ESA/NASA

Three weeks into ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst's Blue Dot mission on the International Space Station and the new arrival is now spending more time on scientific research in the microgravity laboratory.

Alexander has worked on controlled fires in space and continuously monitored his sleep patterns, at the same time as making sure the orbital outpost is working at full capacity.

Apart from continuing the long-term studies on eyes and headaches in space, Alexander recorded his temperature and hormones over 36 hours to understand his sleep patterns.

Astronauts on the Station witness 16 sunrises and sunsets each day – whereas on Earth our bodies rely on sunlight to kick-start hormone production that make us sleepy or wake us up.

Researchers are interested to see how the unique 90-minute days influence sleep. Aside from making sure astronauts feel awake at critical moments, this research in space allows sleep specialists to test theories that they couldn't anywhere else.

Alexander acted as a weightless firestarter and firefighter this week when he ignited small samples of fuels safely contained in ESA's glovebox to see how they burn in space. He volunteered as a fireman before becoming an astronaut, so the experiment was in good hands.

ESA Columbus laboratory. 

Credit: ESA/NASA

This research will improve computer models for fire detectors and extinguishers, both in space and on Earth.

He explained the experiment via Twitter: "Burning things in space for better fire safety on Earth."

Elsewhere, Alexander took samples of his blood and saliva and collected data on his eyes, his skin and his body so researchers can understand how astronauts react to weightlessness.

Other notable experiments included the harvesting of space-grown salads – unfortunately for the astronauts, they are not allowed to eat them.

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst running NASA’s Bass experiment in ESA’s microgravity glovebox on the International Space Station. 

Contained in this protected environment, small samples of fuel were ignited by Alexander to see how they burn in space. 

He volunteered as a fireman before becoming an astronaut, so the experiment was in good hands. 

Credit: ESA/NASA

Yesterday, cosmonauts Oleg Armetyev and Alexander Skvortsov spent over six hours working outside the Station to install an antenna, take samples and move experiments.

Meanwhile the four astronauts inside continued their science activities.

Earlier, Alexander thoroughly checked a newly arrived US spacesuit. Before being declared ready for use, he had to make sure it had survived its climb into space.

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst thoroughly checking a newly arrived American spacesuit on the International Space Station. Credit: ESA/NASA 

Alexander even had time this week for educational activities for Earth Guardian, inspiring children to observe geographical features such as oceans, rivers, landscapes, mountains and forests in their areas during the summer holidays.

ISS Astronauts Spacewalk completes urgent repair job

This April 23, 2014 NASA TV image shows International Space Station(ISS) astronauts Rick Mastracchio (L) and Steve Swanson (R) preparing for a spacewalk.

Credit: NASA

Spacewalking astronauts easily replaced a dead computer outside the International Space Station on Wednesday and got their orbiting home back up to full strength.

The two Americans on board, Rick Mastracchio and Steven Swanson, hustled through the urgent repair job, swapping out the computers well within an hour. The new one tested fine.

"Excellent work, gentlemen," Mission Control radioed.

The removed computer, a critical backup, failed nearly two weeks ago. The prime computer has been working perfectly, but NASA wanted to install a fresh spare as soon as possible.

Mission Control waited until after the arrival of a capsule full of fresh supplies Sunday.

Replacing the computer—a compact 50-pound (22-kilogram) box—involved just three bolts, hardly anything for a spacewalking chore.

Engineers do not know why the original failed. Mission Control asked the spacewalkers to keep an eye out for any damage that might explain the breakdown. Nothing jumped out.

Flight controllers were trying to load software into the spare computer on April 11, but it failed to activate.

That set into motion a frenzy of ground meetings and tests to fix the problem.

NASA feared that if the primary computer went down as well, the entire space station would be in jeopardy.

These two computers—the primary and backup—control the pointing of the solar wings and radiators, as well as the movement of the robot-arm rail cart.

It was the first failure of one of dozens of so-called MDMs, or multiplexer-demultiplexers, in and outside the space station.

Mission Control kept the spacewalk short and straight-to-the-point; it lasted a mere one hour and 36 minutes.

All routine spacewalks by U.S. station crew have been on hold since last summer's near-drowning by a spacewalking astronaut.

His helmet filled with water from the cooling system of the suit, and NASA is continuing to investigate the problem.

NASA hopes to reuse the bad computer, once it's inspected indoors by the astronauts and updated.

Their mission accomplished, Rick Mastracchio and Steven Swanson exchanged a few jokes and laughs as they got ready to go back inside.

"My arms are too short for a selfie," Mastracchio said with a chuckle, his camera pointed at himself.

Space station computer outage may force unscheduled spacewalk

This May 23, 2011 photo released by NASA shows the International Space Station at an altitude of approximately 220 miles above the Earth, taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking. 

A computer outage at the International Space Station may require an EVA (spacewalk) by astronauts and threatens to delay next week's launch of a commercial supply ship for NASA. 

NASA said Friday night April 11, 2014 that a backup computer on the outside of the orbiting lab is not responding to commands. 

Credit: AP Photo /NASA, Paolo Nespoli

A computer outage at the International Space Station may require a spacewalk by astronauts and threatens to delay next week's launch of a commercial supply ship for NASA.

NASA said Friday night that a backup computer on the outside of the orbiting lab is not responding to commands.

The main computer, called an MDM or multiplexer-demultiplexer, is working fine, and the six-man crew is in no danger, officials said.

But these computers control some robotic functions that would be needed for the upcoming supply run by SpaceX, one of two U.S. companies contracted by NASA to keep the space station well stocked. A backup computer would need to be operating for redundancy of those robotic systems.

SpaceX is supposed to launch the unmanned Dragon capsule on Monday from Cape Canaveral.

It contains nearly 5,000 pounds (2267.99 kilograms)of supplies and science experiments.

The mission is already a month late because of extra prep time needed by the California company and unrelated damage to an Air Force radar-tracking device needed for rocket launches.

ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, Expedition 27 flight engineer, works with the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

Late Friday, Mission Control was trying to determine whether the computer can be repaired or must be replaced.

A replacement would have to be accomplished by spacewalking astronauts.

NASA is still aiming for a Monday launch by SpaceX. But that could change, depending on the status of the bad computer.

Astronauts use the space station's big robot arm to grab onto the Dragon capsule and attach it to the outpost.

The space station is currently home to two Americans, one Japanese and three Russians.

NASA is paying Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. to make space station deliveries.

Russia Progress spacecraft, Japan (JAXA) HTV spacecraft, and in Europe ESA's ATV cargo spacecraft also conduct regular supply runs.

ISS Astronauts repeat spacewalk to complete Urthecast camera job

Two Russian space station astronauts took a spacewalk Monday to complete a camera job left unfinished last month.

Oleg Kotov

Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy quickly got one of two commercially provided cameras installed outside the International Space Station, a task requiring multiple power connections.

Everything checked out well, unlike the spacewalk last month.

The two men worked so hard that Russian Mission Control outside Moscow urged them to "get your breath."

"We'll force ourselves to rest," one of the spacewalkers replied in Russian.

The astronauts had hooked up the Earth-observing cameras during a spacewalk after Christmas but ground controllers received no data from the cameras, and the spacewalkers had to haul everything back in.

The problem was traced to indoor cabling and fixed, according to NASA.

Sergey Ryazanskiy

This time, after the spacewalkers reattached the high-definition camera to the outside of the Russian portion of the space station, good electrical connectivity was reported between the instrument and Russian Mission Control.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said Russian flight controllers were pleased with the results.

Next, Kotov and Ryazanskiy tackled the medium-resolution camera.

Images from these new cameras will be distributed by the Canadian company that owns them, UrtheCast Corp.

The cameras were launched to the space station in November in a deal between UrtheCast and the Russian Space Agency.

UrtheCast will post video on its website and sell images. The company expects it will take three months to calibrate the cameras, and that the system should be fully operational by summer.

The four other space station astronauts—two Americans, one Japanese and another Russian—monitored the spacewalk from inside.

UrtheCast: Russia Investigate Space Station HD Cameras

The Canadian company UrtheCast and its Russian partners are investigating what went wrong when its new Earth-watching cameras suffered a glitch shortly after being installed outside the International Space Station last week.

In an eight-hour spacewalk on Friday (Dec. 27), Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy installed UrtheCast's two powerful cameras on the orbiting outpost only to have to remove and return the devices to storage after an unspecified data connection problem.

A high-resolution Urthecast Earth observation camera is seen on the exterior of the International Space Station after being installed by Russian spacewalkers Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy on Dec. 27, 2013. 

The commercial camera will be used by Urthecast stream live views of Earth on the Internet. 

Credit: NASA TV

ISS Cosmonauts Hit Snag with HD Cameras during Record-Breaking Spacewalk

Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov, Expedition 38 commander, and flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Dec. 27, 2013. 

NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio took this photo from inside the station.

Credit: NASA/Rick Mastracchio, via @AstroRM

Two Russian cosmonauts installed new HD camera eyes on the International Space Station during a record-setting spacewalk Friday (Dec. 27), only to have to return the devices inside due to an unspecified data glitch.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy spent just over eight hours — a new endurance record for Russian spacewalks — working outside the space station to install the new Earth-watching cameras for the Canadian company UrtheCast as part of an agreement with Russia's Federal Space Agency. 

But shortly after the installation, Russian engineers reported a problem receiving data from the imaging system.

"It appears that we have seen an unsuccessful attempt at bringing those two cameras to life," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during spacewalk commentary. 

"The exact cause of the problem is not known at this time."


The new cameras are designed to snap detailed views of Earth from space for UrtheCast, which will then provide the imagery to customers via the Internet.

They launched to the station in late November on the Russian Progress 53 cargo ship.

"UrtheCast's two cameras will stream unprecedented footage of our evolving Earth to anyone with an internet connection," the company's website promises.

"In near real-time, you will be able to visit your favorite locales and learn about current events as they unfold."

The UrtheCast cameras include a high-resolution instrument on a swivel platform for detailed observations, and a medium-resolution instrument attached to a fixed platform.

Both cameras were initially installed by Kotov and Ryazanskiy on their respective Earth-facing platforms outside the station's Zvezda service module.

"When the flight control team at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow did not see the expected telemetry and electrical connectivity from the newly installed medium and high resolution cameras, Kotov and Ryazanskiy were directed to remove the cameras and return them to the airlock for further analysis," NASA officials said in a statement.

"The spacewalkers also were instructed to take detailed photographs of the electrical connectors mated earlier for additional review."

Astronaut Mike Hopkins on Dec. 24 Spacewalk

On Dec. 24, 2013, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer, participates in the second of two spacewalks, spread over a four-day period, which were designed to allow the crew to change out a degraded pump module on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. 

He was joined on both spacewalks by NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, whose image shows up in Hopkins' helmet visor.

The pump module controls the flow of ammonia through cooling loops and radiators outside the space station, and, combined with water-based cooling loops inside the station, removes excess heat into the vacuum of space.

Image Credit: NASA

Russian Cosmonauts Taking 7-Hour Spacewalk Outside Station

Two Russian cosmonauts are tackling a seven-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (Dec. 27) to install commercial high-resolution cameras and other new experiments on the orbiting lab's hull. You can watch the spacewalk live here in the window above.

Kotov

Today's spacewalk began at about 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT) and is being performed by Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy.

The two spacewalkers will install two high-fidelity cameras on the Earth-facing side of the station's Russian-built Zvezda service module for the commercial Earth imagery company Urthecast (pronounced Earthcast), which seeks to offer live HD webcasts of Earth from space via an online service.

Today's spacewalk is unrelated to two earlier spacewalks by American astronauts to replace a coolant pump on the space station.

Ryazanskiy

Kotov and Ryazanskiy will also install hardware for a new earthquake-monitoring experiment, called Seismoprognoz, and remove and older experiment that tracked the seismic effects of high-energy particles in the near-Earth environment, NASA officials said.

That older experiment, called Vsplesk, will be tossed into space in a direction that won't endanger the space station so it can burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

The spacewalkers will also dispose of a frame to an old material exposure experiment and retrieve a case of samples from a materials space exposure experiment during their work outside the International Space Station.

Astronauts Mastravvhio and Hopkins Complete First in Series of Spacewalks

On Sunday, Dec. 22, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins tweeted this photo of Saturday's spacewalk, saying, "Wow... can't believe that is me yesterday. Wish I could find the words to describe the experience, truly amazing."

Expedition 38 Flight Engineers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins wrapped up a 5-hour, 28-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 12:29 p.m. EST Saturday. 

They completed the first in a series of excursions aimed at replacing a degraded ammonia pump module associated with one of the station's two external cooling loops that keeps both internal and external equipment cool.

A second spacewalk to install a replacement pump module is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 7:10 a.m. EST, with NASA TV coverage beginning at 6:15 a.m. EST.

Credit: NASA

NASA Space suit issue prompts delay of second spacewalk

In this image made from video provided by NASA, astronaut Rick Mastracchio performs a space walk outside the International Space Station on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. 

Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins ventured out of the station to try to revive a crippled cooling line. 

AP Photo/NASA

Astronauts removed an old space station pump Saturday, sailing through the first of a series of urgent repair spacewalks to revive a crippled cooling line.

The two Americans on the crew, Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins, successfully pulled out the ammonia pump with a bad valve—well ahead of schedule.

That task had been planned for the next spacewalk, originally scheduled for Monday but now delayed until Tuesday, Christmas Eve, because of the need for a suit swap.

"An early Christmas," observed Mission Control as Mastracchio tugged the refrigerator-size pump away from its nesting spot.

If Mastracchio and Hopkins keep up the quick work, two spacewalks may be enough to complete the installation of a spare pump and a third spacewalk will not be needed as originally anticipated.

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.

The space station breakdown 10 days earlier left one of two identical cooling loops too cold and forced the astronauts to turn off all nonessential equipment inside the orbiting lab, bringing scientific research to a near-halt and leaving the station in a vulnerable state.

Mission Control wanted to keep the spacewalkers out even longer Saturday to get even further ahead, but a cold and uncomfortable Mastracchio requested to go back.

The spacewalk ended after 5½ hours, an hour short on time but satisfyingly long on content.

Earlier, Mastracchio managed to unhook all the ammonia fluid and electrical lines on the pump with relative ease, occasionally releasing a flurry of frozen ammonia flakes that brushed against his suit.

A small O-ring floated away, but he managed to retrieve it.

"I got it, I got it, I got it. Barely," Mastracchio said as he stretched out his hand.

"Don't let that go, that's a stocking stuffer," Mission Control replied.

"Don't tell my wife," Mastracchio said, chuckling, as he put it in a small pouch for trash.

Mastracchio, a seven-time spacewalker, and Hopkins, making his first, wore extra safety gear as they worked outside.

NASA wanted to prevent a recurrence of the helmet flooding that nearly drowned Luca Parmitano, an ESA Italian astronaut last summer, so Saturday's spacewalkers had snorkels in their suits and water-absorbent pads in their helmets.

To everyone's relief, the spacewalkers remained dry while outside. But midway through the excursion, Mastracchio's toes were so cold that he had to crank up the heat in his boots.

Mission Control worried aloud whether it was wise to extend the spacewalk to get ahead, given Mastracchio's discomfort.

Not quite two hours later, Mastracchio had enough as he clutched the old pump.

When Mission Control suggested even more get-ahead chores, he replied, "I'd like to stow this old module and kind of clean up and call it a day."

He said a couple of things were bothering him, not just temperature, and declined to elaborate when asked by Mission Control what was wrong.

Flight controllers obliged him. Once the old pump was secured to a temporary location, the spacewalkers started gathering up their tools to go in.

Adding to the excitement 260 miles (418 kilometers) up, a smoke alarm went off in the space station as the astronauts toiled outside. It was quickly found to be a false alarm.

The pump replacement is a huge undertaking attempted only once before, back in 2010 on this very unit.

The two astronauts who tackled the job three years ago were in Mission Control, offering guidance.

Mastracchio promised to bring back a wire tie installed on the pump by the previous spacewalkers. "Oh, awesome, thanks Rick," replied the astronaut in Mission Control who put it on.

The 780-pound (354-kilogram) pump is about the size of a double-door refrigerator and extremely cumbersome to handle, with plumbing full of toxic ammonia.

Any traces of ammonia on the spacesuits were dissipated before the astronauts went back inside, to avoid further contamination.

NASA's plan initially called for the pump to be disconnected in the first spacewalk, pulled out on the second spacewalk and a fresh spare put in, and then all the hookups of the new pump completed in the third outing.