NASA astronauts perform an on-orbit repair to restore a damaged robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS). The Canadian-built arm, which has seven joints, experiences a malfunction in one of its “wrist” joints, a failure that occurs in the days before the repair operation. According to reporting, flight controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston detect the problem after the arm draws more electrical current than expected and does not move correctly. Astronauts then carry out an “orbital surgery” procedure, using station systems and their spacewalk-free operations to service the arm while it remains attached to the ISS. The repair restores the robot arm to full function after the joint issue is addressed. The operation highlights ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting efforts required for ISS hardware, where astronauts and ground controllers monitor performance and intervene when components deviate from expected behavior. Following the procedure, NASA reports that the robotic arm returns to normal operation.
NASA Astronauts Repair International Space Station’s Broken Robot Arm
NASA astronauts perform an on-orbit repair to restore a damaged robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS). The Canadian-built arm, which has seven joints, experiences a malfunction in one o...
- NASA astronauts conduct an on-orbit repair to the ISS’s robotic arm.
- The arm is Canadian-built and has seven joints.
- Flight controllers at Johnson Space Center detect a joint issue after it draws more current than expected and moves improperly.
- The malfunction involves a “wrist” joint that fails last month.
- After the astronauts’ repair procedure, the robotic arm returns to full operation.
On May 27, flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston noticed one of the Canadian-built arm's seven joints was drawing more current than expected and not moving properly.
1 month agoThe orbital surgery on the International Space Station returned the Canadian-built robot arm to full health after its "wrist" joint failed last month.
1 month ago
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