April 30 (UPI) —
On Thursday, two NASA astronauts will undertake a 6-hour and 35-minute spacewalk aimed at enhancing the International Space Station’s ability to generate power and relocating a communication antenna.
Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers of Expedition 73 are set to depart from the ISS at 8 a.m. EDT.
according to NASA
NASA will start live coverage at 6:30 a.m. on
NASA+
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These walks would mark the fifth time in NASA’s history that an all-women team has ventured outside the spacecraft, and the first such event this year. The 275th extravehicular activity (EVA) is aimed at supporting the assembly, maintenance, and enhancements of the space station, as stated by NASA.
This will mark the third spacewalk for McClain, who is 45 years old, and the initial one for Ayers, aged 36.
They intend to attach a mounting bracket beforehand, with more panels scheduled for installation at a later date this year during a resupply mission carried out by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
These panels serve as light-weight energy providers offering greater output compared to conventional solar arrays while being significantly lighter in weight.
The overall accessible power will be increased by 30%, raising it from 160 kilowatts to as high as 215 kilowatts.
The antenna will be shifted by a foot and a half to “avoid obstruction caused by one of the structures,” according to Diana Trujillo, who serves as the spacewalk flight director, during a press briefing.
last week
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The antenna enables the ISS to communicate with approaching spacecraft.
Seven people are currently on board the International Space Station.
Commander Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and NASAFlight Engineer Jonny Kim will help them with suiting up. Kim has a background as a qualified physician.
Also onboard the International Space Station are three cosmonauts from Russia: flight engineers Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Kirill Peskov.
For multiple hours, the astronauts will inhale pure oxygen to eliminate nitrogen from their systems. They will remain attached to the International Space Station via tethers.
Kim also captured images of tomato plants being cultivated as part of an experiment on space agriculture. The researchers are investigating whether crops can be grown without relying on photosynthesis under conditions of microgravity, which could potentially enhance crop production both on Earth and in outer space.
On Tuesday
During the Expedition 73 mission, the crew was trained in producing nanomaterials, potentially paving the way for advancements in new treatments, vaccines, and regenerative medicine.
McClain and Kim were within the Kibo lab module combining solutions to produce DNA-mimicking nanomaterials. These specimens will undergo analysis with an electromagnetism device before being sent back to Earth for additional scrutiny.
Later, Kim teamed up with Ryzhikov and Zubritsky to conduct vein scans within the Columbus laboratory module. Meanwhile, Onishi handled the Ultrasound 2 equipment, enabling medical professionals on Earth to examine the astronauts’ necks, shoulders, and legs from afar.
In November, the ISS will celebrate 25 years with humans aboard. Since November 2, 2000, the station has remained continuously occupied.