The problem seems tiny next to the station: a bolt refuses to place itself correctly. However, it prevents the installation of electrical distribution equipment. On a previous outing, the astronauts’ work was thwarted by the bolt’s housing and the condition of its thread.
Ground crews must design a solution with the objects available on board. They prepare several improvised tools, including a modified toothbrush intended to apply lubricant on the threads. On September 5, 2012, Sunita Williams and Aki Hoshide resumed the repair outside the International Space Station.
After an exit of six hours and twenty-eight minutes, the installation is completed. The brush did not replace all the tools or the collective work that made the operation possible. But it remains the most striking detail: an object banal enough to end up at the bottom of a toilet kit has found its place in a repair above the Earth.
What we know
The brush was used to lubricate; cleaning also involved a tool made from a cable. Collective reparation, not one-size-fits-all.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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