Maiden ISS Spacewalk - Anil Menon

Why in News?

Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Anil Menon has completed his first spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS).

• It was marking a major milestone in his first mission in orbit.
• Menon and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir completed US Spacewalk 96 after spending 6 hours and 27 minutes outside the orbital laboratory.
• The astronauts' main job was to prepare the station's 3B power channel for future upgrades.
• This work is important because it will enable the installation of additional International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA).
• These solar arrays will provide more electricity to the ageing orbital laboratory, helping power its systems and supporting its eventual safe and controlled deorbit.
• The astronauts completed their primary objectives, meaning the crucial work planned for the spacewalk was successfully carried out.
• A spacewalk is essentially an astronaut's most demanding maintenance shift.
• A spacewalk is any time an astronaut or cosmonaut leaves a spacecraft to operate outside in outer space.
• It is also called an EVA, which stands for extravehicular activity.
• Outside the ISS, astronauts work in the vacuum of space while relying entirely on their spacesuits for oxygen, temperature control and protection.
• They can repair satellites or spacecraft that are in space.
• By going on spacewalks, astronauts can fix things instead of bringing them back to Earth to fix.

Reference

Times of India | Anil Menon embarks on maiden 6.5-hour ISS spacewalk