NASA, ESA astronauts conduct spacewalk outside ISS

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot concluded a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday for spacecraft navigation, scientific research and station maintenance.

The duo began the spacewalk at 8:40 a.m. Eastern Time (1240 GMT). During the 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk, Meir and Adenot installed a new retroflector on the forward port of the space station's Harmony module to support spacecraft navigation during rendezvous and docking operations.

The duo replaced a high-definition camera on the station's truss and collected a swab of the space station's exterior for microorganisms. They also partially completed work to install jumper cables for electrical systems and started work to prepare for the replacement of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer's heat-rejecting radiator on a future spacewalk, according to NASA.

During the spacewalk, Adenot experienced some mobility issues with her left arm. Meir inspected Adenot's spacesuit and determined that the glove heater harness was likely getting caught and restricting movement in the left shoulder joint. Unzipping the joint appeared to resolve the issue before the crew entered the airlock, according to NASA.

It was Meir's seventh and Adenot's third spacewalk, also the 284th spacewalk in support of ISS assembly, maintenance and upgrades.