Failure to ISS: Who are the two astronauts who come out to the ... - TF1

There is no other solution to repair ISS . Two of the six astronaut crew of the International Space Station will have to make two or even three spacewalks to repair a board occurred Wednesday 11 December down. They are responsible for replacing a defective pump which prevents ammonia cooling system to function properly.

Saturday at 12:10 GMT (1:10 p.m. to Paris), Americans Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins will attempt to repair the damaged parts. According to NASA, the mission should last around 6:30. Are expected to come again on Monday at the same time to finish the job. And, if necessary, a third release on Christmas Day, 25, is also envisaged.

Who are these two astronauts? Rick Mastracchio, 53, has already made six spacewalks. However, it will be a first for his colleague Mike Hopkins, 44.

> Rick Mastracchio was born in 1960 in Connecticut, USA. An engineer by training, joined the U.S. space agency in 1987. Selected to join the Astronaut Corps Nasa in 1996, it will wait in September 2000 for his first flight aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. In 2007, he performed three spacewalks during a mission aboard the Endeavour space station. In 2010, he spent 15 days aboard the ISS during which he again performed three spacewalks. For its current mission, he departed November 6, 2013 in Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz to reach the ISS for a long flight.
> Mike Hopkins was born in 1968 in Missouri, United States. The lieutenant-colonel of the U.S. Air Force was selected in 2009 to join the body of NASA astronauts. He took off Sept. 25, 2013 aboard Soyuz to reach the ISS for the first time. His return to Earth is planned for March 2014.

Rick Mastracchio posted Tuesday on Twitter the photo of the combination that will perform for his spacewalk.

Three Russian and Japanese astronauts currently staying with the two Americans in the station located about 400 km above the Earth. A constantly updated website, lets you know the name and number of residents of the International Space Station. He was baptized Howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com (translating “how many he has people in the area now?”).