Two NASA astronauts completed a spacewalk to replace a malfunctioning wrist joint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm [1, 2].
The repair is critical because the robotic arm serves as a primary tool for station maintenance and capturing arriving spacecraft. A failure in the wrist joint jeopardized the arm's overall functionality, limiting the crew's ability to perform essential external tasks.
The extravehicular activity (EVA) took place on June 30, 2024 [2, 4]. According to NASA and Al Jazeera, the operation lasted seven hours and 20 minutes [1], though other reports estimated the duration at 6.5 hours [3]. The mission involved two astronauts [1] working outside the station to swap the faulty hardware.
The malfunction occurred during normal operations, causing the wrist joint to stop moving as expected [1, 2]. This loss of mobility hindered the arm's range of motion, requiring a direct physical intervention by the crew.
"The EVA will replace the arm's wrist joint, restoring its full range of motion," NASA said [2].
NASA officials emphasized the importance of the repair for the continued health of the station. "We have a clear plan to fix the arm and get it back to full capability," NASA's chief of ISS operations said [2].
Beyond general maintenance, the repair has implications for upcoming missions. Anil Menon, a former SpaceX flight surgeon, said the spacewalk is essential for the upcoming Soyuz launch [3].
“"The EVA will replace the arm's wrist joint, restoring its full range of motion,"”
The successful repair of the Canadarm2 ensures that the ISS remains capable of docking new modules and spacecraft. Because the robotic arm is the only tool capable of moving heavy payloads and assisting astronauts during external repairs, any prolonged failure would have significantly increased the risk and complexity of future station operations.
