Do you want to watch a spacewalk?
Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir are working outside the station again on this maintenance spacewalk to replace batteries while the male astronauts stay inside.
Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir are working outside the station again on this maintenance spacewalk to replace batteries while the male astronauts stay inside.
You'll hear lots of reading of serial numbers today so that everyone can confirm that they're talking about the same thing. Think of it like telling someone how to follow IKEA instructions via a phone.
Except they are in space.
Except they are in space.
You can see how big these batteries are as they move this one out. Even though it is weightless, it still has the same mass it has on Earth.
When they say "You have the battery" "I have the battery" that's partly to ensure that there's no point where it is out of control.
When they say "You have the battery" "I have the battery" that's partly to ensure that there's no point where it is out of control.
"I'll go ahead and RET to it."
retractible equipment tether - it is both a noun and a verb
retractible equipment tether - it is both a noun and a verb
Listening to them reminds me how unrealistic my spacewalk dialogue is.
"The scoop is clocked towards me. Really beautiful"
"Looks like Africa"
"I have the battery."
"You have the battery."
"I have the battery."
Two brief lines in which they aren't narrating their movements.
"The scoop is clocked towards me. Really beautiful"
"Looks like Africa"
"I have the battery."
"You have the battery."
"I have the battery."
Two brief lines in which they aren't narrating their movements.
A truly realistic spacewalk in a film would be really, really dull because they spend so much time prepping that nothing would go wrong. And if it did, they would calmly recover or abort the spacewalk.
Yay! That's the last of the batteries that they needed to install. Of course, they still have an old battery to stow and cleanup, so they will be out for hours yet.
We recently had to change the battery on our Prius, which seems like it should be speedy, but actually involved some disassembly. It's only meant to be removed once a decade.
We had gravity to assist us.
Every piece we removed, we could set down. They have to secure EVERYTHING
We had gravity to assist us.
Every piece we removed, we could set down. They have to secure EVERYTHING
Also, they are working in bulky suits, with stiff gloves, limited visibility, and you know, constant risk of certain death from the vacuum of spaaaaaaaace.
The handovers are when they move from one satellite to another and there's a brief signal drop.
Most effort is in their hands. Besides holding tools, they translate around the station with their hands.
The pressurization makes the gloves stiff, so gripping things is like one of those hand exercise grip thingies. Over and over for six hours.
The pressurization makes the gloves stiff, so gripping things is like one of those hand exercise grip thingies. Over and over for six hours.
Listening to them negotiate how to be able to reach the things they need to reach. This is one of the things that can't be fully tested in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, because astronauts come in different sizes.
The other aspect is that the EMUs have very limited shoulder movement. The hard upper torso is like a fiberglass tank top that impedes their arm movement.
You want to be able to use a suit that is as small as possible so you can get that shoulder joint aligned with yours.
You want to be able to use a suit that is as small as possible so you can get that shoulder joint aligned with yours.
The ORU bag is the Orbital Replacement Unit bag, which is basically the bag that they haul parts out and back in.
On station, an ORU is generally an entire thing as opposed to just a part of a thing.
On station, an ORU is generally an entire thing as opposed to just a part of a thing.
Luca is one of the male astronauts inside the station. He's working the robotic arm, so he can move the palette of batteries to a better position for the astronaut on the spacewalk.
She has a better view than he does so she's giving him verbal instructions about the movement.
She has a better view than he does so she's giving him verbal instructions about the movement.
Large/small and small/small always make me giggle a little because of how mundanely descriptive it is.
Large/small = a tether with a large hook on one end and a small on the other.
small/small = tether with two small hooks.
Large/small = a tether with a large hook on one end and a small on the other.
small/small = tether with two small hooks.
The Mini Workstation or MWS is a bar on the astronaut's torso which is there to anchor things to. You can see it well in this photo.
It's the horizontal metal bar on her front.
It's the horizontal metal bar on her front.
The mirrors on their wrists also continue to be one of my favorite things. Astronauts have used those since the early days to be able to see what's on their chest.
They can't look down easily, because the torso is hard and the helmet is fixed in place.
They can't look down easily, because the torso is hard and the helmet is fixed in place.
As the CAPCOM is talking them through the accidental deployment, she's working from her own experience but also being supported by a "backroom" who have specialties and manuals for pretty much every contingencies.
Part of the problem is that EV2 can't see herself and the handcontroller that unintentionally deployed is out of view. If she moves around to much trying to reach it she could bump it and trigger it.
So waiting for EV1 to reach her is prudent.
So waiting for EV1 to reach her is prudent.
The HCM is the hand control module of the SAFER.
The SAFER is the jetpack that can return an astronaut to the ISS if they become untethered. So having it come off the control arm is not ideal.
Accidentally triggering it while tethered to station would be a bad day.
The SAFER is the jetpack that can return an astronaut to the ISS if they become untethered. So having it come off the control arm is not ideal.
Accidentally triggering it while tethered to station would be a bad day.
Watching them restow the HCM is actually pretty cool, and also a little unnerving.
I guarantee that the debrief for this spacewalk is going to include a long section trying to figure out how it came loose.
I guarantee that the debrief for this spacewalk is going to include a long section trying to figure out how it came loose.
Watch her try to fold this cable.
Have you ever tried to tie your shoes with heavy winter gloves on? Okay. That, but your gloves also have springs in them AND you need your hands to stabilize yourself.
Have you ever tried to tie your shoes with heavy winter gloves on? Okay. That, but your gloves also have springs in them AND you need your hands to stabilize yourself.
Also, you're wearing a fiberglass tank-top so you can't bring your arms fully across your chest.
When we talk about a HUT, this is what is inside the Hard Upper Torso.
Frequent spacewalkers wind up with an increased likelihood of shoulder replacement surgery in their future.
When we talk about a HUT, this is what is inside the Hard Upper Torso.
Frequent spacewalkers wind up with an increased likelihood of shoulder replacement surgery in their future.
Did you see her just rotate so that EV1 could see the left side? Not turning around left to right, but like turning a cartwheel, because that keeps her hands connected to the station the entire time.
(Making mental note for next novel...)
(Making mental note for next novel...)
Also the fact that they've just told EV2 not to rely on her SAFER in this config is unnerving. To this point, no one has ever had to use a SAFER and the cosmonauts don't have them at all.
But still.
But still.
When you watch them move along the rails, you'll note that they don't grip. Especially at the end of the day.
Watching everything float around in the tool lock bag, notice that everything is tethered into the bag. Now think about rooting around in your own toolbox, if everything has strings on it and is floating.
We really take gravity assistance for granted.
We really take gravity assistance for granted.
To clarify: It would have been more accurate to say frequent EMU use increases the likelihood of shoulder surgery. This is a thing that can affect people who just work in the NBL without going into space.
Go down to slide 18 to see HUT "skin impressions"
ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/c…
Go down to slide 18 to see HUT "skin impressions"
ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/c…
"Astronauts who performed ≥ 5 EVAs were 2.1 times more likely to have had shoulder surgery compared with astronauts who performed 1 EVA"
When I got to watch a full run at the NBL, when the astronauts came out of the suits, they used icepacks on their shoulders.
HOURS later, I could still see the impressions of the tubes from the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment on one's arms.
HOURS later, I could still see the impressions of the tubes from the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment on one's arms.
Okay, maybe it was like an hour and a half, but still. Spacewalks take a toll. If you're an SF writer and you have someone complete a spacewalk and they aren't exhausted... Make sure it's an intentional choice.
Currently, there's a problem uninstalling the APFR. It sounds like it something is preventing it from releasing.
Jessica just said that she's trying to keep hands on the APFR and not on station to prevent "sideload." That's talking about force applied from the side.
Jessica just said that she's trying to keep hands on the APFR and not on station to prevent "sideload." That's talking about force applied from the side.
Yay! She got the APFR out of the WIF.
APFR = articulated portable foot restrait
WIF = worksite interface fixture
The challenge with wanting something to be really secure is that sometimes unsecuring it is challenging.
APFR = articulated portable foot restrait
WIF = worksite interface fixture
The challenge with wanting something to be really secure is that sometimes unsecuring it is challenging.
One of the thing you'll note when they talk about the ISS they'll say "The big light is on the outside of Station."
There's no article in front of station. It's treated as a proper noun as the correct name of the vessel.
There's no article in front of station. It's treated as a proper noun as the correct name of the vessel.
They are heading back in. Jessica is reporting the configuration that the APFR is being stored in outside the station in part so that when they are prepping the next spacewalk, they can set the NBL in the same config.
They are in and the thermal cover is closed. This is a fancy big quilt that keeps the interior of the airlock from going through wild temperature swings as it passes in and out of sunlight.
They close that, connect life support, and then they close the actual hatch.
They close that, connect life support, and then they close the actual hatch.
"Andrew Morgan is standing by to assist with repressurization."
Standing by = doing literal summersaults while waiting
Standing by = doing literal summersaults while waiting
"Water is off" that's the water running through the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation garment, which keeps them cool during the spacewalk.
Spacewalk completed! They've replaced all the batteries and Station is in good shape.
They'll now go through "repress" to repressurize the airlock hatch.
They'll now go through "repress" to repressurize the airlock hatch.
Ha! "Which is your favorite team? The 2B team or not 2B team?"
"That IS the question."
I love astronauts.
"That IS the question."
I love astronauts.
They're being handed back over to Drew.
"We've got dinner waiting," said Drew, a male astronaut, after the astronauts returned from a day of work outside station.
"We've got dinner waiting," said Drew, a male astronaut, after the astronauts returned from a day of work outside station.
Thanks for watching the spacewalk with me!
Shameless self-promotion.
If you order one of my novels from my local indie @ParnassusBooks1 you can request a personalized copy in the comment field.
Say "Batteries in spaaaaace!" and I'll include a Lady Astronaut sticker with your book.
parnassusbooks.net/maryrobinettek…
If you order one of my novels from my local indie @ParnassusBooks1 you can request a personalized copy in the comment field.
Say "Batteries in spaaaaace!" and I'll include a Lady Astronaut sticker with your book.
parnassusbooks.net/maryrobinettek…
