(NBC) - Two astronauts are busy making repairs to a critical computer relay box aboard the International Space Station.
Expedition 51 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Jack switched their spacesuits to battery power this morning at 7:20 a.m. to begin a spacewalk, planned to last about 2.5 hours.
The relay box, known as a multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM), is equipped with upgraded software installed in the truss March 30 during a spacewalk by Whitson and Expedition 50 commander Shane Kimbrough.
Whitson prepared a spare data relay box on Sunday and tested components installed in the replacement. She reported the spare MDM was ready to be brought outside to replace the failed unit.
While Whitson is replacing the MDM, Fischer will install a pair of antennas on the U.S. Destiny Laboratory module to enhance wireless communication capability for future spacewalks. That task was deferred from Whitson and Fischer’s May 12 spacewalk.
Whitson is wearing the suit with red stripes as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1). Fischer, extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2), is wearing the suit with no stripes.
Courtesy NBC News Channel