December 25, 2013

Astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk, yesterday, in this image from a video courtesy of Nasa. - Reuters pic, December 25, 2013.Two Nasa astronauts wrapped up successful repairs at the International Space Station yesterday after a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk to fix an equipment cooling system.

Americans Rick Mastracchio, 53, and Mike Hopkins, 44, floated outside the orbiting lab for seven and a half hours to replace an ammonia pump whose internal control valve failed on December 11.

"We have a pump that is alive and well," said Nasa commentator Rob Navias on the US space agency's live television feed after a successful jumpstart test on the newly installed pump module, a bulky piece of gear the size of a refrigerator.

More checks need to be done, but the pump appeared to be "in good shape" and would be fully activated in the coming hours, Navias said from mission control in Houston.

Despite recent concerns about leaking spacesuits, neither astronaut reported any problems.

The suits "have functioned perfectly and have been bone dry throughout the course of today's spacewalk," Navias said.

Hopkins, making his second career spacewalk, rode the 15-metre robotic arm, operated from inside the station by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.

With his boots affixed to the Canadian-made arm, Hopkins grasped the bulky pump module as Wakata maneuvered him over to its installation location.

Then, Mastracchio, who was making his eighth career spacewalk, helped push the module into its slot and the pair began affixing it in place.

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