In a spacewalk lasting less than an hour, two members aboard the International Space Station successfully restoreda critical computer system.<\/p>\n
A pair of NASA astronauts replaced a dead backup computer on the International Space Station during a short spacewalk Wednesday (April 23) to restore a critical computer system back to full strength. <\/p>\n
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NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson made quick work of their repair during the spacewalk, removing the faulty station computer and installing a spare less than an hour after floating outside the orbiting laboratory at 9:56 a.m. EDT (1356 GMT). <\/p>\n
\"It looks like a good day for you guys to take a walk in space,\" Mission Control radioed the astronauts as the spacewalk began. The spacewalk was slated to last only 2.5 hours. [See photos from today's spacewalk] <\/p>\n
Mastracchio and Swanson replaced a computer known in NASA parlance as a Multiplexer-Demultiplexer, or MDM. The device is a backup computer for routing commands to systems supporting the space station's solar arrays, robotic arm rail car and other critical systems along the station's backbone-like main truss. <\/p>\n
The 10-year-oldMDM computer failed on April 11during a standard test. The primary computer in the system is working fine, but NASA station flight controllers ordered today's repair spacewalk to restore redundancy in the system. <\/p>\n
\"Looks like we've got a new MDM,\" Mastracchio said as he finished the job. <\/p>\n
A quick test showed the new computer was working fine. <\/p>\n
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Read more: In a spacewalk lasting less than an hour, two members aboard the International Space Station successfully restoreda critical computer system. A pair of NASA astronauts replaced a dead backup computer on the International Space Station during a short spacewalk Wednesday (April 23) to restore a critical computer system back to full strength. Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson made quick work of their repair during the spacewalk, removing the faulty station computer and installing a spare less than an hour after floating outside the orbiting laboratory at 9:56 a.m Continue reading
\nSpace station astronauts step outside to replace dead computer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"