After seven hours of work, two NASA astronauts were able to successfully repair a cooling system outside the International Space Station.
Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins completed their second spacewalk this week on Dec. 24. A third spacewalk was previously predicted but the first spacewalk went so well they were able to finish up on Christmas Eve.
The new cooling system was tested later on that day, and it is supposedly "alive and well," according to NASA mission commentator Rob Navias.
The two astronauts were able to remove the failed ammonia cooling system pump on Dec. 21 and attached it to a storage site at the base of the ISS' mobile rail cart, according to Reuters.
"It's like Christmas morning opening up a little present here," said Mastracchio, according to Reuters. "Now it really feels like I'm unwrapping a present."
There are two additional spare pumps aboard the station.
With just one pump, the astronauts had to turn off all unnecessary equipment. The six-person crew was never in danger however.
The cooling systems shut down due to an apparent faulty valve inside a pump, located outside the station. Engineers on the ground attempted to avoid the spacewalks, but as of Dec. 16, the cooling system was still down.
The two spacewalks were the first since July, according to NASA.
The $100 billion research station is approximately 260 miles above Earth, according to Reuters.
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