On 3 December 2022 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio opened the hatch for a spacewalk at 1216 GMT to set about their primary objective to install an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA). This will augment power generation for the 3A power channel on the ISS’s starboard truss structure. The astronauts also disconnected a cable to allow the 1B power channel to be reactivated, after it was shut down due to a power trip in its electrical system on 23 November 2022. The disconnection of the cable isolates the affected portion of the array and should ensure that the 1B channel can be reactivated to 75% of its normal operating capacity.
US spacewalk 82 – fitting the third iROSA. Courtesy: NASA
The astronauts were also able to release several bolts on the port truss in readiness for the upcoming iROSA installation on the 4A power channel. Their Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) – the official name for a spacewalk – concluded at 1921 GMT after 7 hours and 5 minutes.
This was the second spacewalk for both astronauts and the 256th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades and maintenance.
