Astronauts swab ISS exterior for microorganisms
Sep 03, 2026
Washington [US], September 3: Two astronauts spent nearly seven hours outside the International Space Station (ISS) on a spacewalk, collecting samples from the station's exterior to look for microorganisms, the US space agency NASA said on Tuesday.
US astronaut Jessica Meir and French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) took swab samples from the outside of the station, according to NASA.
They also installed a new reflector to help spacecraft navigate during approaches and docking and replaced a high-resolution camera.
Adenot briefly had trouble moving her left arm during the spacewalk.
A cable connected to her glove heating system had apparently become tangled, restricting movement, NASA said. The problem was resolved before the astronauts returned to the airlock.
Source: Qatar Tribune