Space Station: 2nd Repair Spacewalk

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Station Crew Set for Tuesday Pump Replacement Spacewalk

Two Expedition 38 crew members are set to head out of the Quest airlock Tuesday for the second in a series of spacewalks to replace a degraded ammonia pump module on the International Space Station’s starboard truss.

Flight Engineers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins, who completed a 5-hour, 28-minute spacewalk Saturday to remove the faulty pump module from the starboard truss, spent their Monday preparing for the Christmas eve excursion slated to begin at 7:10 a.m. EST.

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Space Station Live: Flight Director Judd Frieling Discusses Repair Spacewalks

Public Affairs Officer Rob Navias interviews Flight Director Judd Frieling about the series of spacewalks to install a spare ammonia pump module on the International Space Station's S1 truss. Spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins are performing the repair work while Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata operates the Canadarm2.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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Space Station Live: Doug Wheelock Talks About Repair Spacewalks

Public Affairs Officer Dan Huot talks to astronaut Doug Wheelock talks about the spacewalks by Expedition 38 crew members Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins to repair a faulty pump module.

During Expedition 24, Wheelock and fellow astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, worked during a set of spacewalks to remove and replace an ammonia pump module

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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Astronauts Work to Install Ammonia Pump Module on Second Spacewalk

Spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins are conducting a second spacewalk to install a spare ammonia pump module. The duo switched their spacesuits to battery power at 6:53 a.m. EDT signaling the official start of their spacewalk.

Today’s main tasks include the removal and installation of a spare pump module. The first task is to remove the spare pump module from the space station’s External Stowage Platform-3. Finally, the module will be bolted to the S1 truss and connected to Loop A of the station’s external Active Thermal Control System. Mission managers expect the installation work will be completed today but have not ruled out a third spacewalk if necessary.

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Spacewalkers Complete Installation of Ammonia Pump Module

Spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins completed a second spacewalk to install a spare ammonia pump module. The U.S. Quest airlock began repressurization at 2:23 p.m. EDT Tuesday signaling the official end of their spacewalk.

Tuesday’s main tasks included the removal and installation of a spare pump module. The first task was to remove the spare pump module from the space station’s External Stowage Platform-3. After that was completed, the module was bolted to the S1 truss and connected to Loop A of the station’s external Active Thermal Control System.

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Station's Replacement Pump Successfully Restarted

Following two spacewalks to replace a degraded pump module on the truss, or backbone, of the International Space Station, flight controllers in the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston successfully restarted the new pump Tuesday night.

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NASA Conducts Second Spacewalk to Fix Coolant Pump on ISS

Expedition 38 astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins ventured outside the space station on Dec. 24, for the second in a series of spacewalks to remove and replace a faulty coolant pump module. The pump is associated with one of the station's two external cooling loops, which circulate ammonia outside the station to keep both internal and external equipment cool.

The previously planned mission of Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft has been moved to no earlier than mid-January. The postponement will allow ample time for the station crew to focus on repairing the pump module, which stopped working properly on Dec. 11.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia