The spacewalkers are seen on Thursday outside the International Space Station. They are working to relocate a robotic arm's external control panel and replace a protective window on the arm's camera unit. Photo courtesy NASA
The objective of the mission is to continue outfitting the European robotic arm on the ISS Nauka laboratory.
Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos and flight engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA are carrying out the spacewalk.
The objective of the mission is to continue outfitting the European robotic arm on the ISS Nauka laboratory. Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos and flight engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA are carrying out the spacewalk. Photo courtesy NASA
NASA said the primary objective is to install platforms and workstation adapter hardware near the 37-foot-long Nauka manipulator system.
The spacewalkers will also relocate the arm's external control panel, replace a protective window on the arm's camera unit and extend a Strela telescoping boom to help facilitate future spacewalks, NASA said.
During the walk, the pair will also deploy 10 nano-satellites that will collect radio electronics.
Artemyev wore a Russian spacesuit with red stripes and Cristoforetti was outfitted in a Russian suit with blue stripes.
NASA said Thursday's is the sixth spacewalk for Artemyev and the first for Cristoforetti, who's also the fourth European astronaut to perform a spacewalk in a Russian spacesuit.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captures a fiery hourglass of light. This cloud of dust and gas is illuminated by light from a protostar, a star in the earliest stages of formation. Photo courtesy of NASA