Astronaut Terry Virts records epic Spacewalk - using a GoPro camera strapped to his helmet

 
Space flight: Terry Virts films a selfie in space
Thomas Bamford13 April 2015

A US astronaut has given an illuminating insight into life in space by recording himself preparing the International Space Station for commercial use.

NASA provided astronauts Terry Virts and Barry Wilmore with GoPro cameras for their spacewalks earlier this year, with astounding results.

The spectacular clip begins with a grinning 'selfie' of Colonel Virts, 47, from Baltimore, Maryland before the camera turns, peering out into space.

Virts began his stint aboard the space station in November 2014, as a crew member of the orbiting lab's Expedition 42.

NASA astronauts Terry Virts and Barry Wilmore completed the installation of 400 feet of cable and several antennas and communication gear associated with the Common Communications for Visiting Vehicles system known as C2V2.

The spacewalks were needed to prepare the orbiting laboratory for future arrivals by U.S. commercial crew spacecraft. It was their third spacewalk in eight days.

Virts Said: “We’re going to lay down over 400 feet of cable. These cables are going to attach to some antennas that are going to be used for the future American vehicles that are going to be docking, bringing crew to the space station starting in a few years.

“So we need to put these antennas and the cables there for them, and also some reflectors so their on-board navigation systems that use lasers (to) know where the station is and what orientation it’s in and will be able to dock properly."

His poignant tribute to Leonard Nimoy, a Vulcan salute from the International Space Station with Boston, Massachusetts in the background went viral earlier in the year.

He is also photographing every North American Major League Baseball ground, and inviting people to guess which is which. There are 28 in total.

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