Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques has completed his first ever spacewalk.

Saint-Jacques and NASA astronaut Anne McClain accomplished the feat in six hours, 29 minutes, with no apparent issues.

Saint-Jacques, 49, joins an exclusive group of astronauts by becoming just the fourth Canadian to complete such a mission and the first from the country to do so since 2007.

He and McClain officially began their spacewalk shortly after 7:30 a.m. ET according to the U.S. space agency — about half-an-hour ahead of schedule.

Their tasks included relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station's wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station's main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Saint-Jacques arrived at the space station with McClain and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Dec. 3. He is scheduled to return to Earth in June.

Want to learn more about what the astronauts hope to achieve? Watch NASA's technical briefing.

Last week, flight controllers used the space station's robot arm to remove the failed battery along with an associated charging device. Working remotely, the controllers also installed a spare charging device and one of the old batteries made of nickel hydrogen. The second outdated battery will go in — robotically — later this week.

NASA said it will send up another new battery, although it's uncertain when. Until then, this combination of old and new batteries is expected to work fine, according to managers.

Their six-month mission began in December. The next spacewalk will be next month by the two Russians on board. Two other Americans round out the six-person crew.

McClain was supposed to take part in a spacewalk in late March alongside Christina Koch, but the first-ever all female spacewalk was scuttled because of concern around the safety of the spacesuits available to the astronauts.

This decision was based on my recommendation. Leaders must make tough calls, and I am fortunate to work with a team who trusts my judgement. We must never accept a risk that can instead be mitigated. Safety of the crew and execution of the mission come first. <a href="https://t.co/VU9QNaHHlK">https://t.co/VU9QNaHHlK</a> —@AstroAnnimal

Instead, Koch went out with colleague Nick Hague. The pair successfully installed new lithium ion batteries and completed tasks aimed at improving power supply.

Saint-Jacques — a doctor, engineer and astrophysicist — is the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut to travel to space since Chris Hadfield in 2013.</s>LONGUEUIL, Que. — David Saint-Jacques has joined select company, becoming just the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in a spacewalk and the first in 12 years as he began a roughly seven-hour mission today.

Saint-Jacques' and NASA astronaut Anne McClain officially began their spacewalk just after 7:30 a.m. EDT according to the U.S. space agency, when they switched to battery power, officially disconnecting from the International Space Station.

MORE: Hamilton Scouts call the International Space Station, and it answers, in the voice of Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques

The Canadian's spacewalk comes on his first posting to the station, which began in December.

The jobs the pair are expected to perform include relocating a battery adapter plate, upgrading the station's wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station's main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the cables would allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers will provide support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston.

Retired Canadian astronaut Dave Williams, who is commenting on the spacewalk from the agency's headquarters in suburban Montreal, says Saint-Jacques was in good spirits when he spoke to him.

Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, having spent a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station three times during a 2007 mission.

Williams was also the last Canadian until Saint-Jacques to have performed a spacewalk.</s>Saint-Jacques’ and NASA astronaut Anne McClain officially began their spacewalk just after 7:30 a.m. EDT

Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques is seen on a live monitor from the International Space Station during a video conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Julie Payette and a group of students at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. Astronaut David Saint-Jacques will become the first Canadian spacewalker in 12 years when he embarks on a roughly seven-hour mission planned for today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

David Saint-Jacques has joined select company, becoming just the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in a spacewalk and the first in 12 years as he began a roughly seven-hour mission today.

Saint-Jacques’ and NASA astronaut Anne McClain officially began their spacewalk just after 7:30 a.m. EDT according to the U.S. space agency, when they switched to battery power, officially disconnecting from the International Space Station.

The Canadian’s spacewalk comes on his first posting to the station, which began in December.

The jobs the pair are expected to perform include relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station’s wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station’s main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the cables would allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers will provide support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston.

Retired Canadian astronaut Dave Williams, who is commenting on the spacewalk from the agency’s headquarters in suburban Montreal, says Saint-Jacques was in good spirits when he spoke to him.

Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, having spent a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station three times during a 2007 mission.

Williams was also the last Canadian until Saint-Jacques to have performed a spacewalk.

The other two astronauts to have performed the feat are Steve MacLean in 2006 and Chris Hadfield — the first Canadian spacewalker — in 2001.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.</s>LONGUEUIL, Que. — David Saint-Jacques joined select company on Monday, becoming just the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in a spacewalk and the first in 12 years as he embarked on a roughly seven-hour mission.

Saint-Jacques’ and NASA astronaut Anne McClain officially began their spacewalk just after 7:30 a.m. EDT according to the U.S. space agency, when they switched to battery power, officially disconnecting from the International Space Station.

The Canadian’s spacewalk comes on his first posting to the station, which began in December.

The pair emerged about 30 minutes ahead of schedule and Saint-Jacques performed a few brief movements to get used to his suit before quickly getting underway.

The duo are expected to perform tasks including relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station’s wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station’s main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the cables would allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

“All and all, a very busy spacewalk,” retired astronaut Dave Williams said at Canadian Space Agency headquarters in suburban Montreal. “They have four major tasks to perform, and David and Anne are going to be all over the space station.”

Williams spoke to Saint-Jacques over the weekend. “I told David, ‘You’re going to get the perfect tour,’ ” he said.

While the astronauts emerged in relative darkness, the sun came out shortly afterward, affording the astronauts some spectacular views of home.

“So they can stick their heads back, capture this amazing image and then go right back to work again,” Williams said.

Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, with three for a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station during a 2007 mission. Williams was also the last Canadian until Saint-Jacques to have performed a spacewalk.

The other two astronauts to have performed the feat are Steve MacLean in 2006 and Chris Hadfield — the first Canadian spacewalker — in 2001.

Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers were providing support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston as Saint-Jacques slowly performed the lengthy list of tasks.

Williams said the astronauts need to take their time while in space.

“Sometimes when you watch a spacewalk, it seems very, very slow,” he said. “It’s important to move slowly in space because there’s nothing to stabilize you …. You have to move really slowly to maintain control.”

Saint-Jacques’ movements were visible through his helmet camera, giving viewers who can watch live online the astronaut’s perspective.

“David’s doing an incredible job, moving very gracefully, using just fingertip forces to go from one place to another on the space station,” Williams said. “That’s the mark of a highly experienced spacewalker, already. He’s been out less than an hour, and he’s using perfect technique to hold on to the handrails.”</s>LONGUEUIL, Que. -- Astronaut David Saint-Jacques will become the first Canadian spacewalker in 12 years when he embarks on a roughly seven-hour mission planned for today.

Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers will provide support to the Canadian astronaut while he performs his mission with NASA astronaut Anne McClain.

Saint-Jacques' spacewalk comes on his first posting to the International Space Station.

It is scheduled to begin just after 8 a.m. EDT. It involves several tasks, including relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station's wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station's main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm 2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the cables would allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

The Canadian record for the most spacewalks is held by retired astronaut Dave Williams, who ventured outside the space station three times during a 2007 mission for a total of nearly 18 hours.</s>Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers will provide support to the Canadian astronaut while he performs his mission with NASA astronaut Anne McClain.

LONGUEUIL, QUE.—Astronaut David Saint-Jacques will become the first Canadian spacewalker in 12 years when he embarks on a roughly seven-hour mission planned for today.

Saint-Jacques’ spacewalk comes on his first posting to the International Space Station.

It is scheduled to begin just after 8 a.m. EDT. It involves several tasks, including relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station’s wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station’s main truss to give Canadarm 2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm 2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the cables would allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.</s>LONGUEUIL, Que. -- Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques has completed his first ever spacewalk.

Saint-Jacques and NASA astronaut Anne McClain accomplished the feat in six hours, 29 minutes, with no apparent issues.

Saint-Jacques, 49, joins an exclusive group of astronauts by becoming just the fourth Canadian to complete such a mission and the first from the country to do so since 2007.

He and McClain officially began their spacewalk shortly after 7:30 a.m. EDT according to the U.S. space agency -- about half-an-hour ahead of schedule.

Their tasks included relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station's wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station's main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Saint-Jacques arrived at the space station with McClain and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos on Dec. 3. He is scheduled to return to Earth in June.</s>LONGUEUIL, Que. — Astronaut David Saint-Jacques became just the fourth Canadian to complete a spacewalk Monday, accomplishing several tasks alongside NASA astronaut Anne McClain in about six-and-a-half hours before returning inside the International Space Station.

Saint-Jacques, 49, is the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk since 2007.

After re-entering the space station, he hailed the mission as “a glimpse of the future as we venture further into space.” He said the international effort was an excellent example of collaboration.

“Because when we manage to look beyond our differences, we achieve things that seem impossible,” Saint-Jacques said. “That’s how we progress.”

McClain, who was performing her second spacewalk, thanked the ground team for their support. “We know that it’s a lot of hard work, and a lot of big sighs of relief as soon as the hatch did get closed,” she said.

The spacewalk appeared to run like clockwork, with Saint-Jacques and McClain actually leaving the space station half-an-hour earlier than scheduled.

Retired astronaut Dave Williams said astronauts prefer to have a cushion against the unpredictability of working in space. “We like to get ahead on the timeline and stay ahead, because you never know what’s going to happen during a spacewalk,” Williams said at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters in suburban Montreal.

Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, with three for a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station during a 2007 mission. Those came at a time when there was extensive building going on at the station.

Now, astronauts are transitioning mostly to maintenance tasks, which partly explains the long gap since the last Canadian spacewalk by Williams. The other two Canadian astronauts to have performed the feat are Steve MacLean in 2006 and Chris Hadfield in 2001.

Saint-Jacques is on his first posting to the space station, which began on Dec. 3. After emerging from the station, the Canadian performed a few brief movements to get used to his suit before diving into the to-do list, which took 6 hours, 29 minutes.

The tasks took the pair all over the station and included relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station’s wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station’s main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the new cables allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

Williams, who spoke to Saint-Jacques on Saturday, said he was very excited about the mission and proud to wear the Canadian flag, but laser-focused on the tasks ahead.

It was the third spacewalk in just under three weeks for space station occupants, and much of the work involves replacing batteries on the 19-year-old outpost with fresh ones that arrived in December. Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers were providing support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston.

Saint-Jacques’ spacewalk wasn’t a given when he arrived at the station, with schedules in flux and a manpower shortage caused by an aborted Soyuz mission last October, said Ken Podwalski, the CSA’s space station program manager.

“The primary objective is always to do science, but there’s a lot of work going on there just to maintain the operations of the space station,” Podwalski said.

With the manual tasks complete, Canada’s robotic contributions to the station will finish installing new lithium ion batteries. “We’ll be able to come down with Canadarm2 and Dextre at the tip and robotically finish moving those batteries around,” Podwalski said.

Saint-Jacques’ movements were visible through a helmet camera, giving viewers watching live online the astronaut’s perspective.

Williams said that while it may look lumbering, it’s necessary to go slow to maintain control. “David’s doing an incredible job, moving very gracefully, using just fingertip forces to go from one place to another on the space station,” Williams said earlier Monday. “That’s the mark of a highly experienced spacewalker, already.”

The astronauts returned inside just before 2 p.m. EDT, likely exhausted from several physically demanding hours with no food and just one litre of water in a suit pouch.

Williams noted that astronauts spend years training, getting into shape and training underwater to mimic the choreography. “Quite literally, it’s years of training for hours of spacewalking, but it’s quite an experience getting to do it,” he said.

Saint-Jacques, McClain and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos are scheduled to return to Earth in June.</s>Astronaut David Saint-Jacques became the fourth Canadian to complete a spacewalk Monday, accomplishing several tasks alongside NASA astronaut Anne McClain in about six-and-a-half hours before returning inside the International Space Station.

After re-entering the space station, he hailed the mission as "a glimpse of the future as we venture further into space." He said the international effort was an excellent example of collaboration.

"Because when we manage to look beyond our differences, we achieve things that seem impossible," said Saint-Jacques, the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk since 2007. "That's how we progress."

During the spacewalk, Saint-Jacques reported that McClain's voice was faint at times. The problem worsened as their excursion drew to a close.

"We know that it's a lot of hard work and a lot of big sighs of relief as soon as this hatch gets closed," McClain said once the pair were inside the airlock.

Within moments, the spacewalkers could barely hear their colleagues over the radio loop. They had to shout and repeat words at times, as did the astronauts on the other side of the hatch.

McClain, meanwhile, reported having a thin layer of moisture inside her helmet. The change to her visor was noticeable in the last 15 minutes of the spacewalk, she noted.

NASA is wary about moisture inside helmets ever since an Italian astronaut almost drowned during a spacewalk nearly six years ago because of a water leak in his suit. McClain insisted she wasn't wet, and that the moisture was minimal. A crewmate later noted perspiration.

Saint-Jacques and McClain began the spacewalk half-an-hour earlier than scheduled.

Retired astronaut Dave Williams said astronauts prefer to have a cushion against the unpredictability of working in space. "We like to get ahead on the timeline and stay ahead, because you never know what's going to happen during a spacewalk," Williams said at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters in suburban Montreal.

Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, with three for a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station during a 2007 mission. Those came at a time when there was extensive building going on at the station.

Now, astronauts are transitioning mostly to maintenance tasks, which partly explains the long gap since the last Canadian spacewalk by Williams. The other two Canadian astronauts to have performed the feat are Steve MacLean in 2006 and Chris Hadfield in 2001. Saint-Jacques is on his first posting to the space station, which began on Dec. 3.

The tasks took the pair all over the station and included relocating a battery adaptor plate, upgrading the station's wireless communication system and connecting jumper cables along the midpoint of the station's main truss to give Canadarm2 an alternative power source.

Canadarm2 is a sort of robotic hand that is crucial to maintaining the space station, and the new cables allow the arm to make repairs in case of an outage without requiring a spacewalk.

Williams, who spoke to Saint-Jacques on Saturday, said his countryman was very excited about the mission and proud to wear the Canadian flag, but laser-focused on the tasks ahead.

It was the third spacewalk in just under three weeks for space station occupants, and much of the work involves replacing batteries on the 19-year-old outpost with fresh ones that arrived in December. Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers were providing support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston.

With the manual tasks complete, Canada's robotic contributions to the station will finish installing new lithium ion batteries. "We'll be able to come down with Canadarm2 and Dextre at the tip and robotically finish moving those batteries around," Ken Podwalski, the CSA's space station program manager, said.

Williams said the astronauts' seemingly lumbering pace is necessary to maintain control. "David's doing an incredible job, moving very gracefully, using just fingertip forces to go from one place to another on the space station," Williams said. "That's the mark of a highly experienced spacewalker, already."

The astronauts returned inside just before 2 p.m. EDT, likely exhausted from several physically demanding hours with no food and just one litre of water in a suit pouch.

Williams noted that astronauts spend years training, getting into shape and training underwater to mimic the choreography. "Quite literally, it's years of training for hours of spacewalking, but it's quite an experience getting to do it," he said.

Saint-Jacques, McClain and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos are scheduled to return to Earth in June.

-- With files from The Associated Press</s>Williams holds the Canadian record for the most spacewalks, with three for a total of just under 18 hours outside the space station during a 2007 mission. Williams was also the last Canadian until Saint-Jacques to have performed a spacewalk.

The other two astronauts to have performed the feat are Steve MacLean in 2006 and Chris Hadfield — the first Canadian spacewalker — in 2001.

This is the third spacewalk in just under three weeks for space station occupants, and much of the work involves replacing batteries on the 19-year-old outpost.

Saint-Jacques' spacewalk wasn't a given when he arrived at the station, with schedules in flux and a manpower shortage caused by an aborted Soyuz mission last October.

"The primary objective is always to do science, but there's a lot of work going on there just to maintain the operations of the space station," said Ken Podwalski, a space agency official.

Canadian Space Agency robotics flight controllers were providing support to the astronauts from mission control in Houston as Saint-Jacques slowly performed the lengthy list of tasks.

Once Saint-Jacques is done the manual tasks that will allow astronauts to replace older batteries near the end of their life with lithium ion batteries, Canada's other contributions to the station will complete the work.

"Once he's done, we'll be able to come down with Canadarm2 and Dextre at the tip and robotically finish moving those batteries around," Podwalski said.

Saint-Jacques' movements were visible through his helmet camera, giving viewers watching live online the astronaut's perspective. Williams said while it may look lumbering, it's necessary to go slow to maintain control.

"David's doing an incredible job, moving very gracefully, using just fingertip forces to go from one place to another on the space station," Williams said earlier Monday. "That's the mark of a highly experienced spacewalker, already."

Once astronauts are out in space, they don't return inside until the work is complete, as repressurizing the airlock is a task in itself. Spacewalks are physically demanding.

"What it means is that you basically have nothing to eat in your space suit the whole time you're outside," Williams said. "You eat a reasonable breakfast and you have 32 ounces of water and that's it, whatever the duration of your spacewalk."

Saint-Jacques arrived at the space station with NASA's McClain and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.
David Saint-Jacques becomes the fourth Canadian astronaut to take part in a spacewalk and the first in 12 years as he begins a roughly seven-hour mission.