Just like mechanics and technicians on Earth, astronauts use a variety of manual and portable power tools in space to repair, service, and maintain spacecraft, like the space shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS), and other satellites, like the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Space tools are divided into two main operating categories: Intravehicular Activity (IVA) tools and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) tools. IVA tools are used by astronauts inside the pressurized habitable compartments of a spacecraft for routine maintenance, repair, and unexpected tasks. EVA tools are used by space-suited astronauts outside of their pressurized spacecraft in the vacuum of space.

Intravehicular Tools

Most IVA tools are unmodified, commercial off-the-shelf, high-quality hand and power tools. These IVA tools are used for many general tasks known as in-flight maintenance (IFM), such as removing fasteners on access panels to electronics racks and repairing or adjusting mechanical and...