NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers made history with the fifth all-female spacewalk, moving an antenna and partially preparing the International Space Station for a new set of solar arrays. The 5-hour, 44-minute extravehicular activity (EVA) took place on May 1, with the duo accomplishing most of their planned tasks but deferring some due to limited time and resources.
The mission aimed to install the seventh pair of International Space Station Rollout Solar Arrays (IROSA), which will increase electricity generation capability by up to 30%. McClain and Ayers built and mounted the upper triangle of the mast canister modification kit, as well as the right struts. However, they had to clean up their workstations and prioritize a new task due to time constraints.
The astronauts then relocated an antenna used by Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo vehicles when they come to resupply the space station. With limited time remaining, McClain and Ayers tackled “get ahead” tasks, including releasing bolts on a micro-meteoroid debris cover for future work.
This historic spacewalk marked McClain’s third EVA and Ayers’ first, with both astronauts contributing to ongoing efforts to upgrade the International Space Station. The mission highlights the importance of continuous human presence in space, as well as the progress being made towards returning humans to the moon and eventually sending them to Mars.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/nasa-astronauts-prep-iss-for-new-solar-arrays-on-5th-ever-all-female-spacewalk