Space News from SpaceDaily.com
SPACE TRAVEL
Thomas and the blue marble
by Staff Writers
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Commercial UAV Expo | Sept 2-4, 2025 | Las Vegas

Paris (ESA) Jun 25, 2021
A snap of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet during the second spacewalk to upgrade the International Space Station's power system, taken by NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough.

The duo performed the second extra vehicular activity to bolt in place and unfurl an IROSA, or ISS Roll-Out Solar Array, on Sunday 20 June.

The series of spacewalks last week was not without some challenges. During the first spacewalk on 16 June, Shane experienced a small technical problem in his spacesuit that required him to return to the airlock and restart his Display and Control Module. This module provides astronauts with continuous information on pressure, temperature and other vital data during a spacewalk.

Though the restart was successful and Shane was in no danger, it delayed the duo's work, preventing them from completing installation of the first new solar array as planned.

The duo succeeded in taking the IROSA panel out of its storage area outside the Space Station and passed from spacewalker to spacewalker to the worksite. There the rolled arrays were secured. The spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes.

During the second spacewalk, the duo unfolded, bolted and connected the wires. Then they hung out while the panels were unfurled, a sequence that lasted about 10 minutes.

Shane and Thomas then got ahead of the next spacewalk by preparing the next IROSA for installation before cleaning up the worksite and heading back to the airlock. This spacewalk lasted 6 hours and 28 minutes, with only a minor technical snag. Shane's helmet lights and camera partially detached from his helmet but Thomas used some wire to reattach them as a temporary fix.

Mission planners are working on a third spacewalk on Friday June 25 to install the second pair of new solar arrays. This will go on the P6 truss' 4B power channel, opposite the first new solar array.

Related Links
Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News



SPACE TRAVEL
US, French astronauts make ISS spacewalk
Washington (AFP) June 20, 2021
A French and an American astronaut completed a six-hour spacewalk Sunday as they installed new solar panels to boost power supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA said. "It is a huge team effort each time and couldn't be happier to return with @astro_kimbrough," tweeted Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, referring to his American colleague Shane Kimbrough. Pesquet is with the European Space Agency, Kimbrough with NASA. The two men, who arrived on the space station in late April, acti
SPACE TRAVEL
Thomas and the blue marble

NASA to send mannequins to moon to prepare for crewed missions

Astronauts unfurl 60-foot-long space station solar array

How astronauts can do laundry during space mission

SPACE TRAVEL
Student Experiments to Blast Off from NASA Wallops

Virgin Galactic receives approval from FAA for Full Commercial Launch License

Sierra Space provides integration services for nuclear propulsion system for DARPA's Draco Program

China's Long March rocket has world's highest success rate: expert

SPACE TRAVEL
Study Looks More Closely at Mars' Underground Water Signals

Insight Mars Lander may die this year due to dust

Study Sheds New Light on Composition at Base of Martian Southern Polar Cap

Video, audio clips shed light on historic Mars mission

SPACE TRAVEL
China is using mythology and sci-fi to sell its space program to the world

How does China's urine recycling system work in space

China building new space environment monitoring station

Xi lauds 'new horizon' for humanity in space chat with astronauts

SPACE TRAVEL
Virgin Orbit selects new VP of Flight and Launch

Iridium awarded $30M contract by the US Army

Patents help build a global map of new space industry

Benchmark unveils in-space mobility service to unlock OSAM innovations

SPACE TRAVEL
Setting gold and platinum standards where few have gone before

Detergent maker helps NASA explore space laundry

A new chapter for space sustainability

NIST method uses radio signals to image hidden and speeding objects

SPACE TRAVEL
Collection of starshade research helps advance exoplanet imaging by space telescopes

Are we missing other Earths

Scientists use stellar mass to link exoplanets to planet-forming disks

Unique exoplanet photobombs Cheops study of nearby star system

SPACE TRAVEL
Giant comet found in outer solar system by Dark Energy Survey

Next stop Jupiter as country's interplanetary ambitions grow

First images of Ganymede as Juno sailed by

Leiden astronomers calculate genesis of Oort cloud in chronologically order



Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS newswire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement