American astronauts Jeffrey Williams (left) and Kate Rubins take a spacewalk to hook up a docking port outside the International Space Station on Friday. It was a key step in NASA’s drive to regain independent access to the lab complex for the first time since the shuttle fleet was retired in 2011.
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The International Docking Adaptor, once installed, will allow commercial spacecraft carrying astronauts to come into port at the Space Station.
The adapter was launched from Cape Canaveral on July 20 and in preparation for its installation, NASA ground crews used the ISS robotic arm to move it into position.
According to a story published on the topic by Reuters News, “Two NASA astronauts completed a six-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday to install a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis, which will end USA reliance on Russian Federation for rides to the orbiting outpost”. “Congratulations to the entire team”.
This spacewalk marks a first for Rubins, and the fourth of Williams’ career.
The IDA being installed today is the first of two devices that will be attached to the space station as part of a new worldwide standard that allows a variety of vehicles to dock with the orbiting lab independently rather than being grappled with the station’s robotic arm.
After exiting the Quest airlock and collecting necessary tools and two foot restraints, Williams and Rubins will make their way to the front end of the station where the old shuttle port, pressurized mating adapter No. 2, or PMA-2, is attached to the Harmony module’s forward hatch.
Williams and Rubins will keep tinkering with the station until about 2 p.m. ET, attaching ethernet and power cables to the port.
Other than a minor problem freeing up one balky cable connector, the astronauts had no trouble staying ahead of their timeline.
It was launched aboard SpaceX’s, “Dragon” cargo spacecraft last month.
NASA had meant to install the global docking adapter last summer, but the equipment was destroyed by the launch failure of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying it. We’re getting ready for flight tests.
The new system will work with two upcoming private space vehicle projects: Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, with the first test flights expected as early as next year.
So far, NASA hasn’t announced a buyer for the most expensive real estate in history, but the obvious choices would be SpaceX or Boeing, both of which are scheduled to start sending astronauts into orbit starting next year.
“A a new interface standard out in the public domain for anyone to build to that standard will stimulate competition and stimulate technology”, NASA program manager Shaun Kelley said in an interview on NASA TV. “It’s a huge milestone in our program”.
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Russian astronaut Anatoly Solovyev now holds the record for most EVAs – sixteen times, with a total time of eighty-two hours and twenty-two minutes.
