Questions tagged [in-space-repairs]
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16
questions
3
votes
1answer
120 views
How badly would commodity handheld power tools, with cheap “duct tape” modifications, work in (EVA) space?
Popular articles about the handheld power tools used on EVA by astronauts usually focus substantially on how much specialized engineering goes into making these tools. And there definitely are a lot ...
18
votes
1answer
3k views
Are there any ISS component failures that could cause irreparable harm to the station?
What component, if any, would cause irreparable harm ("total") the ISS if it were to break or require replacement? If this component exists, when is it going to reach its end-of-life?
By "total", I ...
4
votes
0answers
71 views
Why dwell when checking for leaks on AMS-02?
On spacewalk 4/4 of the AMS-02 repair mission, Luca discovered a leak in one of the spliced coolant lines. They then had to wait an hour after a repair before re-testing the joint; a 'mandatory dwell'....
1
vote
2answers
80 views
What is the most likely range of orbits for on-orbit servicing satellite?
An on-orbit servicing satellite (OOS) is one what would be use for servicing, refueling, assembly in space.
Would there be any specific orbit or standard orbit or at least most-likely range of ...
3
votes
0answers
115 views
Speculative assumptions about ISS end of life vs. physical limitations
Is it possible to modernize ISS, replace parts one by one and it will still work, or is there a set of components which can't be replaced and will therefore come to a non-extendible "hard" end of life ...
16
votes
2answers
2k views
What (if any) replacement parts have been 3D printed on the ISS and then installed?
The Phys.org article Six degrees of nuclear separation contains the following sentence in the introduction paragraph for background
Astronauts now print their own parts in space to repair the ...
42
votes
4answers
9k views
How often is duct tape used during crewed space missions?
It seems Apollo missions carried some variety of gray tape, likely Duct Tape or similar. There's the scene in the movie Apollo 13 and the reality behind it discussed in the video below.
Question: How ...
4
votes
2answers
162 views
How to slow a spinning spacecraft externally?
I came accross the is question What are the consequences to breaking the ISS? and wander how would a spacecraft be made to stop spinning from the outside?
Scenarios might include (but are not limited ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Would recovery from these three problems on the ISS each require astronauts on board?
YouTube auto-played this to me after Scott Manley. I don't really recommend this channel as there are a lot of small errors due to the speaker's unfamiliarity with the science and mis-speaks like ...
5
votes
0answers
205 views
How many leaks have been fixed on the ISS, roughly?
Leaks come in all sizes. Very small ones might be ignored or remain undetected, slightly faster ones might be identified and dispositioned; if they are slow and going to remain stable, they might not ...
3
votes
1answer
164 views
Power requirements for NASA's Variable Power Laser Welding Torch
NASA uses a Variable-Power Handheld Laser Torch for their welding in space operations and fixing things in orbit. I've got several questions about this system.
Is this system currently available/in ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
Is satellite retrieval still relevant given the progress of in-orbit service?
The downmass capability was one of the US Air Force's requirements in the Space Shuttle design. It was planned that the shuttle would retrieve spy satellites from orbit for refurbishing. This ability ...
14
votes
2answers
4k views
Are satellite repairs in orbit still being performed nowadays?
The list of Shuttle missions contains quite a few of in-orbit repairs of commercial satellites.
Meanwhile, Soyuz is about exclusively resupply/crew exchange missions to space stations, and this is ...
8
votes
2answers
406 views
Besides HST, JWST and stations, are there any examples of satellites designed for service in space?
update: I've just read these intriguing first sentence in the recently published (and paywalled) Aviation Weekly article No Second Chances On Webb Telescope Deployment:
NASA has no plans to service ...
3
votes
1answer
292 views
Space maintenance after Space Shuttle Program Shutdown
I was wondering, what if one of the satellites that were previously serviced by the space shuttle, like the Hubble Space Telescope, needs repairs now that the shuttle program is off?
Are there other ...
3
votes
3answers
475 views
Can a cubesat in orbit be operated like a R/C airplane in real time?
I was thinking about the answers and comments I got to this question (Can a cubesat be used to qualify parts in space?) and came across one that said satellites can't be fixed once launched into orbit ...
