Image above: STS-123 astronauts begin the second spacewalk at the spacelab pallet where Dextre is attached. Credit: NASA TV

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Spacewalkers complete Dextre assembly

STS-123 Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan and Mike Foreman have successfully installed and secured the two arms of Dextre, the final element of the International Space Station’s Mobile Servicing System.

Linnehan and Foreman stepped into the void of space at 7:49 p.m. EDT, beginning the second spacewalk of STS-123.

Mission Specialist Robert Behnken, KE5GGX is coordinating the spacewalk activities from inside the orbital complex while STS-123 Pilot Gregory Johnson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE operate Canadarm2.

Image above: Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Mike Foreman work with the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator during the second spacewalk of the STS-123 mission. Credit: NASA TV

Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM), is designed for station maintenance and service. The SPDM is capable of sensing forces and movement of objects it is manipulating.
It can automatically compensate for those forces and movements to ensure an object is moved smoothly.

Throughout the day, the station and shuttle crew members continue outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module - Pressurized Section (JLP). The JLP is the first pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and the newest component of the station.