ISS Crew Finish Repairing Cooling Pump

It took three spacewalks but finally the cooling system onboard the International Space Station is back up to full operating capacity.

One of the two systems failed near the end of July, prompting the crew to reduce power to the station and postpone all ongoing experimences to conserve energy.

Station flight engineers Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell were supposed to repair the problem in two spacewalks but had trouble on the second trip outside of the ISS thus a third trip outside had to be performed.

Yesterday’s 7-hour spacewalk saw the pair slip the new tank into place and attach electrical connections and fluid lines.

NASA hopes to have full power restored to the ISS by Thursday.

NASA insists that the crew was never in any danger despite the failed cooling system, that left the station functioning only with one remaining colling system to control temperature.

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