2nd AMS repair spacewalk scheduled Friday

As European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano rides the robotic arm to his work area at the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, he takes this selfie where his spacesuit’s helmet visor reflects most of the international space station. Credit: NASA

With the first spacewalk to repair an important particle physics experiment at the International Space Station completed, preparations for the second are well underway.

Known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, the instrument is designed to collect cosmic ray particles to record their mass, velocity, charge and direction of travel. It was launched to the ISS in 2011 and was supposed to last three years.

A cutout model of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Credit: NASA

Now five years beyond that life expectancy, the experiment is now on the last of four redundant cooling pumps designed to keep the instrument at an acceptable temperature. Over the last several years, NASA has been planning to install a new pump system to prolong the life of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. It is expected to require several spacewalks, which are said to be the most challenging since the Hubble servicing missions during the space shuttle era.

On Nov. 15, 2019, Expedition 61 astronauts Luca Parmitano and Drew Morgan — of the European Space Agency and NASA, respectively — ventured outside the outpost in their spacesuits on the first spacewalk in this series. Their goal was to prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for repair tasks on subsequent outings.

During the course of their 6-hour, 39-minute extravehicular activity, the duo removed a debris panel, installed several handrails for future spacewalks and even had time for several tasks that were planned for the second spacewalk.

These bonus tasks included the removal of a vertical support beam cover for the area that houses stainless steel tubing that have to be cut and spliced together on future spacewalks in order to attach to the new cooling pump system, according to NASA.

NASA astronaut Drew Morgan at the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer during the first spacewalk on Nov. 15, 2019. Credit: NASA

During the second spacewalk, scheduled for Nov. 22, Parmitano and Morgan are expected to access, cut and label these tubes, of which there are eight. NASA said they will connect them to the new cooling system on the third spacewalk, scheduled for Dec. 2, before performing leak checks.

In an update, NASA said Parmitano and Morgan have spent time this week going over the work necessary for this spacewalk. Additionally, another member of the six-person Expedition 61 crew, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, is reviewing the Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers she’ll use in support of the outing. She’ll support the spacewalking duo from inside the ISS at the robotics work station.

According to NASA, astronauts have never cut and reconnected fluid lines during a spacewalk. As such many tools had to be designed, tested and certified by scientists and engineers over the last several years of planning.

The second spacewalk, dubbed U.S. EVA-60, will air on NASA TV and is expected to start at 11:50 UTC Nov. 22.

European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano rides the robotic arm to his work area at the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer during U.S. EVA-59 on Nov. 15, 2019. Credit: NASA