Astronauts take a spacewalk to lubricate robotic arm

Two astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have completed a spacewalk lasting about 6.5 hours to lubricate components of the new latching end effector they installed in the previous spacewalk on the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik and Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei of NASA also replaced a faulty camera system during the spacewalk on Tuesday.

The astronauts also completed a variety of additional tasks, including replacing a smudged lens cover and removing two handrails from outside the tranquility module in preparation for a future wireless antenna installation, NASA scientists wrote in a blog post.

This was the second of three spacewalks planned for October.

This spacewalk was the fourth for Bresnik's career and the second for Vande Hei.

Bresnik and Flight Engineer Joe Acaba of NASA are scheduled to go for a third spacewalk to continue the lubrication of the new end effector and to replace another camera system on the Destiny Lab on October 18. The spacewalk will mark the third of Acaba's career.

--IANS

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