USA astronauts begin spacewalk to fix stalled rail auto

Astronauts normally plan for months before going on a spacewalk.

The Mobile Transporter stalled just four inches from its starting position, NASA reported, thanks to a faulty brake handle.

British astronaut Tim Peake is to assist in a spacewalk conducted by two of his fellow crewmen on the International Space Station (ISS) today.

After the spacewalk ended, spokesman Navias deemed the process “quickly planned and executed to perfection”.

After engineers on the ground confirmed the rail auto was latched in place, Hopkins told the spacewalkers, “It’s in a good config”.

Russia’s Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 46/47 crew of Britain’s astronaut Tim Peake, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and United States astronaut Tim Kopra blasted off to the ISS on December 15, 2015.

Nasa broadcast live footage of the operation, showing dramatic views of the two astronauts at work with the Earth turning slowly in the background. Kelly and Kopra were approved to complete the additional task during the EVA.

Launch of the Progress cargo ship is scheduled for 3:44 a.m. EST on Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and also can be seen on NASA TV.

“Astronauts are free to watch the film on the space station in their down time”, said David Weaver, NASA’s associate administrator for communications.

The rail auto became stuck last Wednesday after being blocked from its latching point by a crew equipment cart was left with its brake on.

Having finished their primary objective, Kelly and Kopra set to work on some extra tasks while they were already outside.

Repairs began at around 12.45pm, about half an hour ahead of schedule, and are expected to last at least three hours.

Peake is the first Briton aboard the space station, and the first fully British professional astronaut employed by a space agency.