Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot removed a failed space-to-ground communications antenna from the International Space Station (ISS) during a six-hour spacewalk, but did not have enough time to install its replacement.
NASA said the remaining installation work will be completed during a future spacewalk. The latest mission lasted six hours and 23 minutes after beginning at 8:29 am EDT.
The spacewalk marked Menon's second excursion outside the ISS and Adenot's first. Adenot, a European Space Agency astronaut, also became the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk.
The astronauts had two primary objectives: removing the malfunctioning antenna and installing a replacement. However, several tasks took longer than expected, leaving insufficient time to complete the second part of the mission.
The crew encountered delays while disconnecting tight power and data connectors, installing locking pins in the antenna's gimbal assembly and removing bolts securing the antenna to its boom.
After the failed antenna was removed, mission control determined that there was not enough time to move it to its permanent storage location and retrieve and install the replacement antenna.
NASA said the replacement installation is expected to be completed during a future spacewalk.
The astronauts also completed additional maintenance work before returning inside the station. Near the end of the spacewalk, they carried out clean-up activities and inspected and replaced a portable foot restraint near the Quest airlock.
Menon said the crew had entered the spacewalk expecting the tasks to proceed smoothly but had to adapt when the work took longer than anticipated. He praised the mission planning and the contingency procedures that allowed the astronauts to respond to the delays.
The antenna removed during the spacewalk plays an important role in communications between NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston and the ISS. It is used to transmit data and support high-speed communications between the space station, Tracking Data and Relay Satellites and control centres around the world.
Despite the failed antenna, NASA said the ISS continues to operate with another fully functional space-to-ground antenna, ensuring that high-data-rate communications remain available.
The latest outing was the 282nd spacewalk conducted in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades.
Earlier in August, Menon and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir spent six hours and 27 minutes outside the station preparing part of its power system for the future installation of another roll-out solar array.
NASA has said such maintenance work is essential to keeping the ISS operational as the station approaches its third decade of continuous human habitation.
The August 18 spacewalk had originally been scheduled for August 13 but was postponed after an unexpected data reading from a carbon dioxide sensor on Menon's spacesuit following the August 6 spacewalk.
Mission planners are expected to determine the next steps for completing the antenna replacement. The next spacewalk is currently scheduled for August 25.
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