NASA astronauts operate on space station's broken robot arm
Summary
Two NASA astronauts fixed a broken 200-pound joint on the International Space Station’s robot arm during a spacewalk lasting over seven hours. The repair involved replacing the faulty wrist joint with a spare part, restoring full arm function necessary for station operations.Key Facts
- The broken joint was part of the Canadian-built robot arm called Canadarm2, which is 58 feet long.
- The faulty joint was causing higher electrical current and was not moving properly.
- Astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams performed the spacewalk to replace this wrist joint.
- The astronauts removed the arm's "hand" (latching end effector) and two other joints to access the broken part.
- The replacement joint was successfully installed and tested, confirming good power and data connections.
- The failed joint was brought back to the station for eventual return to Earth and repair.
- Canadarm2 is used to capture cargo ships and assist with moving equipment and astronauts outside the station.
- NASA plans to keep maintaining the arm until the space station is retired around 2030.
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