Britain gets 1st spacewalker; station power grid gets fixed

[Buster's Uncle]

Britain gets 1st spacewalker; station power grid gets fixed
Associated Press
By MARCIA DUNN  15 minutes ago



This photo taken from video provided by NASA shows astronaut Scott Kelly, center, help gather equipment for U.S. astronaut Tim Kopra, left, and British astronaut Tim Peake, as they prepare for a space walk at the International Space Station on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Peake will become the first Briton to walk in space when he ventures out of the International Space Station (ISS) to help repair a broken power unit. (NASA via AP)



CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two spacewalking astronauts — including Britain's first — successfully restored full power to the International Space Station on Friday after replacing a broken electronic box.

British spaceman Timothy Peake and NASA's Timothy Kopra removed the voltage regulator that failed two months ago, slashing station power by one-eighth. The breakdown did not disrupt work 250 miles up, but NASA wanted the power grid fixed as soon as possible in case something else failed.

Working in darkness to avoid electrical shock from the solar power system, the astronauts hurried to remove the bad unit and pop in a spare. They had just 31 minutes to complete the job, the amount of nighttime on that particular swing around the world.

It took a bit longer than expected to install the spare, dubbed Dusty, about the size of a 30-gallon aquarium. The spare had been inside the space station since 1999; newly arrived cables allowed a software update.

Mission Control assured the spacewalkers they had enough time, as the two struggled to bolt down the spare unit. Once it was attached, power tests followed. Mission Control informed the astronauts everything looked good. "Awesome," replied Kopra.

Engineers suspect the original unit suffered an internal electrical short. Following the failure, the station relied on the seven other power channels.



In this frame grab from video provided by NASA-TV, British spaceman Timothy Peake, right, and U.S. astronaut Timothy Kopra foreground, work outside the International Space Station, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Kopra and Peake are working to restore full power to the International Space Station, after an electronic box failed two months ago, reducing power at the station. (NASA-TV via AP)


The action unfolded on the far reaches of the space station. The work site is about 200 feet from the astronauts' exit, about as far as spacewalkers safely can go.

"Glad to see you both out there together on the tip of the world," Mission Control radioed.

Peake, in particular, received a bounty of well wishes — from space as well as Earth. He became the first spacewalker to wear the Union Jack on the shoulder of his suit.

"We're all watching, no pressure!" Former Beatle Paul McCartney said via Twitter. "Wishing you a happy stroll outdoors in the universe."

Earlier, as Peake floated out, space station commander Scott Kelly called, "Hey Tim, it's really cool seeing that Union Jack go outside. It's explored all over the world. Now it's explored space."



In this frame grab from video provided by NASA-TV, U.S. astronaut Timothy Kopra emerges from the International Space Station, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Kopra and British spaceman Timothy Peake are working to restore full power to the International Space Station, after an electronic box failed two months ago, reducing power at the station. (NASA-TV via AP)


Replied Peake: "It's great to be wearing it, a huge privilege, a proud moment."

Peake, a helicopter pilot chosen by the European Space Agency, is Britain's first official astronaut.

A handful of previous spacewalkers held dual U.S.-English citizenship, but flew as Americans for NASA. The first British citizen to fly in space, chemist Helen Sharman, visited Russia's old Mir space station as part of a private competition in 1991.

Peake and Kopra rocketed into orbit exactly one month ago aboard a Russian spacecraft.

To distinguish between the two Tims, Mission Control used both their first and last names when calling out to them. Ground controllers, at least, didn't have any problem distinguishing the spacewalkers' voices. Peake is from West Sussex in southeast England; Kopra is from Austin, Texas.

"Popping outside for a walk," Peake said in a tweet Thursday. "Exhilarated - but no time to dwell on emotions."

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Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

European Space Agency: http://m.esa.int/ESA
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