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Washington: In the third spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Victor Glover concluded their spacewalk after 7 hours and 4 minutes.
The two NASA astronauts began work on Monday to install modification kits required for the upcoming solar array upgrades, the US space agency said in a blog post.
The duo worked near the farthest set of existing solar arrays on the station's left side, known as P6.
A look at both @NASA_Astronauts working outside the @Space_Station today: Kate Rubins & @AstroVicGlover. They're installing bracket support structures at the base of the station's solar arrays, to enable future upgrades to the arrays. pic.twitter.com/Ed5OrxX8lt
— NASA (@NASA) February 28, 2021
As astronaut Kate Rubins continues work to secure a bolt on the bracket support structures at the base of the solar arrays, the @Space_Station is flying 261 miles over Venezuela and is about to pass over Brazil. pic.twitter.com/zTcPxaplEX
— NASA (@NASA) February 28, 2021
Glover built a bracket structure and worked with Rubins to attach the bracket and support struts to the mast canister, the base, of one of the P6 solar arrays, known as 2B.
One of the bolts did not fully engage on the first attempt, so Rubins used a power drill to back it out and reseat it, then used a ratchet wrench to tighten the bolt, reaching a safe configuration.
The bolt likely will need to be secured further before installing one of the new solar arrays that will be delivered to the space station later this year aboard SpaceX's 22nd commercial resupply services mission, NASA said.
Rubins and Glover then moved to begin identical assembly work for the bracket for the second of the P6 solar array pair, known as 4B.
They completed the construction of upper support hardware and secured it to the space station's exterior structure until work can be completed on the next spacewalk on March 5.
During the spacewalk on March 5, Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi will venture outside the orbiting outpost to complete the installation of the 4B array modification kit and are expected to tackle additional work, NASA said.
The spacewalkers are getting ready to open the hatch to the @Space_Station and conclude today's spacewalk. @AstroVicGlover will be entering the airlock first, and astronaut Kate Rubins will follow closely behind. pic.twitter.com/J7gkcle3YJ
— NASA (@NASA) February 28, 2021
As the sun sets on station, Astronaut Kate Rubins enters the Quest airlock getting ready to conclude today's spacewalk. https://t.co/cBNqC5JGaz pic.twitter.com/VwdPSByeYs
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) February 28, 2021
Repressurization is underway and today's spacewalk has officially concluded at 1:16pm ET. @AstroVicGlover's and Kate Rubin's spacewalk lasted seven hours and four minutes. @Astro_Siochi and Rubins will continue today's work on the @Space_Station on Fri., March 5. pic.twitter.com/MQ5Fgr8KrZ
— NASA (@NASA) February 28, 2021