NASA Astronauts to Repair ISS Robotic Arm During Spacewalk
The 7-hour, 20-minute repair restored a critical station arm after controllers found the joint drawing excess current and failing to move properly.
- On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir successfully replaced a malfunctioning 200-pound wrist joint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm during a 7-hour, 20-minute spacewalk.
- Flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center detected the failure on May 27 when the arm drew elevated motor current and ceased moving, rendering the system critical for capturing cargo vehicles and station maintenance.
- Williams and Meir removed the failed joint from the arm and installed a spare stored on an external platform, then reattached the latching end effector—the arm's 'hand'—to restore full operational capability.
- Mission Control confirmed Canadarm2 has good power and data connectivity following the repair. Astronaut Meir said the team was "thrilled to have repaired the mighty Canadarm2 just in time for Canada Day" on July 1.
- ISS operations manager Bill Spetch said repairs are "expected after more than 25 years" of continuous operations. The arm remains critical for station maintenance until NASA's planned retirement of the ISS by the end of 2030.
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Astronauts are doing a space walk to repair robotic arm on the ISS
The Canadarm2, a 56-foot-long arm that has been in operation for more than 25 years on the International Space Station, is undergoing repairs after a joint malfunctioned last month. The arm is an important part of the ISS and is used to move large equipment and capture cargo vehicles.
Imagine fixing a robot while flying at 28,000 kmph. NASA astronauts just did it
Chris Williams and Jessica Meir replaced a faulty wrist joint on the International Space Station's robotic arm during a complex mission carried out while the orbiting laboratory travelled around Earth at nearly 28,000 kmph.
Time and again the International Space Station has to be maintained and repaired. Now two astronauts have been in space for more than seven hours.
Astronauts ‘operate’ on space station’s broken robot arm
Astronaut Chris Williams shows off a “strong man” pose 260 miles above Earth during a break in work to repair the International Space Station’s robot arm. Image: NASA Two NASA astronauts floating outside the International Space Station carried out a bit of orbital surgery Tuesday, successfully replacing a broken 200-pound “wrist” joint near the end of the lab’s 58-foot-long robot arm. “That is a good install, you guys. I know that was tough. Won…
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