Spacesuit problems prevented astronauts from completing the installation of powerful new solar panels on the International Space Station on Wednesday.
Nasa astronaut Shane Kimbrough encountered a pair of spacesuit issues midway through the seven-hour spacewalk, forcing him to temporarily return to the airlock to reset his equipment.
The interruption put Mr Kimbrough and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet an hour behind, then they had trouble trying to unfold the solar panel’s booms before time finally ran out.
The two are supposed to venture back out on Sunday, but it is unclear whether that will be delayed or whether the astronauts will wrap up work on the first solar panel or start on a second one.
Nasa wants to re-energise the ageing space station as demand to visit grows.
But there is no urgency to do so, said Mission Control commentator Rob Navias, with the old solar panels providing plenty of power for now.
They will continue to operate in a degraded state, even after the new ones are up and running.
Mission Control stressed that Mr Kimbrough was safe the entire time, despite problems with his suit's display control panel and a fleeting pressure surge in the cooling system.
His control panel came back on and Mission Control continued to monitor his suit’s cooling system.
“We just want to be super safe here,” Mission Control radioed.
It was the first of a series of spacewalks to equip the ageing orbital outpost with six smaller but stronger solar wings.
The electrical boost is needed to accommodate the paying passengers expected to drop by, beginning with a Russian film crew this autumn.
Nasa put extra safety precautions in place as Mr Kimbrough and Mr Pesquet worked on the station's primary power grid to avoid the risk of an electric shock.
The duo conducted the most hazardous parts of the spacewalk on the night-time side of Earth to prevent the station’s old solar panels from soaking up sunlight and generating power. Metal surfaces on their spacesuits were covered to avoid any contact.
Launched by SpaceX this month, the first of these new solar panels will operate alongside the station's oldest electricity-producing wings, in continuous operation for more than 20 years.
The astronauts had to lug the bundled solar wing – 3 metres long by 1 metre wide – to the work site on the far left end of the station. They managed to bolt it into place but could not unfold the booms because of a problem in the mounting bracket.
Once properly installed, the solar panel is designed to roll out like a red carpet 19 metres in length.
Nasa wants to keep the space station churning out science research through this decade, but space tourists will further tax the power system.
A Russian film director and actress are scheduled to visit in October for filming, followed by wealthy entrepreneurs launching from Kazakhstan and Cape Canaveral as part of a push to open up the private space market.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
