Space Station

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts ended their spacewalk at 1:34 p.m. EST with the repressurization of the Quest airlock. Wilmore and Virts completed all the scheduled tasks for today. They completed rigging a series of power cables on Pressurized Mating Adapter-2, lubricated the Latching End Effecter of the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and prepared the Tranquility module for the station’s upcoming reconfiguration in preparation for the arrival of commercial crew vehicles later this decade. They also were able to complete get-ahead work for the installation during Sunday’s spacewalk of the Common Communications for Visiting Vehicles (C2V2) system by pre-staging wire-ties that will be used to secure some 400 feet of cable.

The 6-hour, 43-minute spacewalk was the third for Wilmore and the second for Virts. Wilmore now has spent 19 hours and 58 minutes in the void of space during his three spacewalks. Virts has now spent 13 hours and 24 minutes outside during his two excursions. Crews have now spent a total of 1,165 hours and 51 minutes conducting space station assembly and maintenance during 186 spacewalks.

The duo will venture outside the space station again on Sunday, March 1, to install the C2V2 equipment commercial spacecraft delivering crews to the space station will use to rendezvous and dock with the orbital laboratory. NASA TV coverage will begin at 6 a.m. Sunday ahead of a planned 7:10 a.m. start time for the spacewalk.

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts switched their spacesuits to battery power at 6:51 a.m. EST, signifying the start of today’s planned 6-hour, 30-minute spacewalk.

Wilmore is wearing a spacesuit with red stripes and is designated EV1. His helmet camera displays the number 18. Virts is wearing a spacesuit with no stripes and is designated EV2. His helmet camera displays the number 20. This is third spacewalk for Wilmore and the second for Virts.

Wilmore and Virts will finish routing a series of cables in preparation for the arrival of two International Docking Adapters later this year. Boeing built the two new docking adapters, and they will be delivered to the station on a pair of SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft this year. Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will use the adapters to deliver astronauts to the space station later this decade.

Virts also will lubricate elements at the latching end of the space station’s robotic arm while Wilmore prepares the Tranquility module for the relocation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the arrival of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) later this year.

Once BEAM arrives to the space station, crew members and ground-based engineers will gather performance data during a two-year test period to evaluate expandable space habitat technology.

NASA Television is broadcasting the spacewalk at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv.

A pair of spacewalkers are conducting final reviews as they get ready for Wednesday morning’s spacewalk scheduled to start at 7:10 a.m. EST. They will be assisted by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who will be the spacewalk choreographer and robotic arm operator.

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts will go outside for more cable routing work and lubrication work on the Canadarm2. This will be the second in a series of three spacewalks meant to ready the International Space Station for a pair of International Docking Adapters.  The third will be Sunday morning.

› Read about the first spacewalk

The duo will also prepare the Tranquility module for the relocation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module. They are also readying the station for the new Bigelow Expandable Activity Module set to arrive later this year.

The three cosmonauts focused on maintenance tasks and their set of microgravity science to benefit life on Earth and future crews. Cristoforetti also worked on maintenance and science work in between her spacewalk preparations.

Ground controllers have maneuvered the space station’s large robotic arm Canadarm2 in place for work planned for Wednesday’s spacewalk. Spacewalkers Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts will start their second spacewalk at 7:10 a.m. EST to lay more cables and lubricate one of Canadarm2’s two latching end effectors, which serve as tip or base for the robotic arm. They will also prepare the Tranquility module for the relocation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the new Bigelow Expanded Activity Module later this year.

› Read about the first spacewalk

While the duo is reviewing its procedures and getting its tools and spacesuits ready, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti worked a variety of advanced life science and high-flying plumbing work. She wore gear for the Drain Brain experiment that studies how blood flows from the brain back to the heart in microgravity.

› Read more about the Drain Brain study

The three Expedition 42 cosmonauts enjoyed an off-duty day today in observation of the Russian Defender of the Fatherland holiday.

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts ended their spacewalk at 2:26 p.m. EST with the repressurization of the Quest airlock. Wilmore and Virts completed all the scheduled tasks for today and one get ahead task. They rigged a series of power and data cables at the forward end of the Harmony module and Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 and routed 340 of 360 feet of cable. The cable routing work is part of a reconfiguration of station systems and modules to accommodate the delivery of new docking adapters that commercial crew vehicles will use later this decade to deliver astronauts to the orbital laboratory.

The 6-hour, 41-minute spacewalk was the first for Virts. Wilmore now has spent 13 hours and 15 minutes in the void of space during two spacewalks. The spacewalk began this morning at 7:45 a.m. Astronauts have now spent a total of 1,159 hours and 8 minutes conducting space station assembly and maintenance during 185 spacewalks.

The duo will venture outside the space station again on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to deploy two more cables and lubricate the end of the space station’s robotic arm. NASA TV coverage will begin at 6 a.m. Wednesday ahead of a planned 7:10 a.m. start time for the spacewalk.

Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes into today’s spacewalk, astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts have finished attaching several new cables on the port side of Pressurized Mating Adapter-2. The duo will reinstall a debris shield before moving to attach another new cable on the starboard side and route additional cables during their remaining time outside the International Space Station.

The crew is routing more than 300 feet of cable during today’s spacewalk and a second one planned for Wednesday as part of a reconfiguration of the station to enable U.S. commercial crew vehicles under development to dock to the space station in the coming years.

Watch the spacewalk on NASA Television at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts switched their spacesuits to battery power at 7:45 a.m. EST, signifying the start of today’s planned 6-hour, 30-minute spacewalk.

Wilmore and Virts will attach power and data cables to the port and starboard sides of Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 at the forward end of the Harmony module where the first of two International Docking Adapters will be installed later this year. Boeing built the two new docking adapters, and they will be delivered to the station on a pair of SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft this year. Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will use the adapters to deliver astronauts to the space station later this decade.

Wilmore is wearing a spacesuit with red stripes and is designated EV1. His helmet camera displays the number 18. Virts is wearing a spacesuit with no stripes and is designated EV2. His helmet camera displays the number 20. This is second spacewalk for Wilmore and the first for Virts. It is the 185th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance.

NASA Television is broadcasting the spacewalk at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of tomorrow’s U.S. spacewalk conducted from the International Space Station beginning at 6 a.m. EST. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7:10 a.m. and run about 6 1/2 hours.

Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts will venture outside the orbital complex in the first of three spacewalks in the coming days to prepare cables and communications gear for new docking ports that will allow future crews launching from Florida on U.S. commercial spacecraft to dock to the space station.

Watch the spacewalk live on NASA Television or at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv.

This is the 185th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Join the conversation on Twitter by following @NASA, @NASA_Johnson, and the hashtags #Exp42 and #ISScrew. To learn more about all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/connect.