Expedition 74 flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir completed a seven-hour spacewalk on June 30, 2026, to swap out a wrist joint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. The operation was timed for Canada Day, according to NASA.
The Canadarm2, a 57.7-foot-long robotic manipulator built by the Canadian Space Agency, is critical for capturing cargo spacecraft and performing station maintenance. The wrist joint replacement required precise coordination to avoid damaging the arm's intricate wiring and motors.
The spacewalk began at 7:30 a.m. EDT and concluded after 6 hours and 58 minutes. It was the first spacewalk for Williams and the fourth for Meir. Mission control at Johnson Space Center monitored the repair in real time, ensuring no debris interfered with the work.
This repair extends the life of Canadarm2, which has operated on the ISS since 2001. The arm has been essential for assembling the station and berthing vehicles like Dragon and Cygnus. Canada's contribution to the station remains a source of national pride.
A counterargument: Some critics question the cost of maintaining aging station hardware versus investing in new robotic systems for future lunar or Martian missions. However, NASA argues the Canadarm2 remains reliable and cost-effective.