Earlier in the month a robot aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was deployed to change over the batteries in its solar-power system, but it couldn't do so without help from a team of spacewalking astronauts. The European Space Agency has now shared a video of the final leg of this upgrade mission, shot from the chest of astronaut Thomas Pesquet as he completed his first ever spacewalk.
The battery swap involved pulling out older nickel-hydrogen batteries dating back to the early days of the ISS and installing modern lithium-ion batteries in their place. The high-tech Dextre Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator robot did much of the heavy lifting, but astronauts were still required to venture outside and engage in some good old fashioned micro-gravitational labor.
Among the team was Pesquet, who completed his first spacewalk on January 13 with NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough at his side. The pair glided through their necessary tasks and were even left with time to complete some secondary objectives, such as collecting a busted camera and shifting handrails for use in future spacewalks.
Shot from a camera inside a space-proof casing mounted to Pesquet's chest, the video offers a mesmerizing insight into the perspective of astronauts as they complete these daring missions. Check it out below.
Source: ESA
(Video credit: ESA/NASA)