NASA astronauts are conducting a second spacewalk to upgrade the power of the space station
The spacecraft began Wednesday at 7:13 p.m.
Both astronauts are veteran rowers. This is the eighth venture out there for both Cassidy and Behnken, according to NASA.
These spaceways are the culmination of a series of power upgrades that began in January 2017 to replace nickel-hydrogen batteries with new lithium-ion batteries.
This space corridor, similar to the one held last Friday, will focus on replacing the batteries for one of the power channels at the station’s far right station. Since the astronauts completed some tasks for this spacecraft last week, they will also focus on tasks scheduled for later space travel, power routes and Ethernet cables, and make other preparations for future power system upgrades.
These cables will provide a better view of future space travel, according to NASA.
These power system upgrades, however, are nothing such as replacing the batteries on the remote control. The new batteries weigh 428 kilograms.
On this second space voyage, Cassidy will be a member of the I crew and will wear a space suit with red stripes, while Behnken will be a member of the II crew in a striped suit. Hurley and Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner will help Cassidy and Behnken in their space suits. Hurley will operate the station’s robotic arm to support astronauts outside the station.
The replacement of the batteries, which will have a 20-year life, will stand in a much better configuration in the long run, said Kenneth Todd, deputy program manager of the International Space Station, during a NASA press conference last week.
Behnken recently talked about space travel and why it’s important to replace batteries during a call to a space station from CNN Innovation and Space Reporter Rachel Crane.
“When a space station is sunny, it collects energy and needs to be stored when it is dark,” he said. “And so those batteries, while constantly repeating themselves, wear out and need to be replaced. And occasionally maintenance is needed.”
Behnken said he was looking forward to another sailing experience.
“I’m really looking forward to looking at the Earth when we get a free moment,” he said. “I think every astronaut, when he goes out on his first space corridor, is really focused on trying to get all the activities done and do a good job so I can probably get a chance for another one if the opportunity arises.”
“But once you’ve made a couple and knew what awaits you as you go through it, it’s important, you know, to take some mental photos, some mental images, or remember what it was like to be outside.”
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