NASA astronauts install powerful batteries during 2nd spacewalk this month

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After much ado about who would be spacewalking outside the International Space Station, the show must go on.

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Nick Hague exited the Quest airlock before 8 a.m. Friday to continue swapping batteries outside the space station, work Hague and fellow NASA astronaut Anne McClain started last week.

One of the new lithium-ion batteries had not been successfully holding a charge, so on Friday Hague began readying robotic operators to replace the new battery that was not working with the two old batteries. NASA officials said this will ensure optimal power supply to the space station. Koch's work involved preparing the worksite for the delivery of the next six new lithium ion batteries that will arrive to the station aboard a Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle later this year to upgrade a third set of the solar arrays.

The spacewalk, also known called extravehicular activity or EVA, lasted until after 2 p.m.

The spacewalking duo installed powerful lithium-ion batteries for one pair of the station’s solar arrays. A week ago, Hague and McClain replaced aging batteries in the same area. The batteries store power generated by the station’s solar panels that fuel the space station laboratory when it's not in direct sunlight.

Friday's upgrade would have been completed by McClain and Koch -- the first all-women EVA -- but after completing last week's spacewalk, McClain said she felt most comfortable working in the medium spacesuit instead of a large one and Koch required the same suit. Another medium suit is on board the space station but NASA officials said it would take about 12 hours of work to prepare so Hague was reassigned to Friday's spacewalk. Read more about the reasoning behind the decision here.

People were critical of the NASA's decision to replace Hague for McClain. Of the 215 EVAs conducted since 1998, only 13 included women. Koch became the 14th female spacewalker Friday. NASA officials responded to the backlash, saying an all-female spacewalk is inevitable.

What to look out for: NASA streamed the EVA at NASA.gov. To tell the spacewalkers apart, look for the strips. Hague will be wearing the suit with red stripes. Koch's spacesuit will not have stripes.

Another spacewalk is scheduled for April 8. During that EVA, McClain and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques will begin work to provide a new source of power to the Canadian-built robotic arm, known as Canadarm2.