International Space Station Undergoes An Upgrade via Spacewalk

Two astronauts' planned spacewalk to install a solar array is approved by NASA mission managers:

Mission managers have authorised the installation of a new roll-out solar array on the port-side truss structure of the International Space Station during the spacewalk scheduled for Thursday. Flight engineers from Expedition 75, Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Anil Menon of NASA, will convert their spacesuits to battery power at 8 a.m. EDT, signifying the commencement of their six-hour and 45-minute spacewalk, which will involve external maintenance. At 6:30 a.m., NASA+ commences its live coverage of the spacewalk.

First, the spacewalking duo will unbolt the roll-out solar array from a temporary stowage platform on Thursday. Subsequently, Menon will transport the roll-out solar array to the truss worksite by riding the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Kutryk will then translate to the port truss worksite while tethered to the orbital outpost and join Menon to complete the installation job. Ultimately, the roll-out solar array will be remotely activated by mission controllers to commence power generation.

Menon and Kutryk began their shift on Wednesday, finalizing their spacewalk procedure reviews. Afterward, the pair inspected their spacesuits’ life support systems, communications gear, and other components, ensuring their readiness for Thursday’s excursion.

After lunch, Menon and Kutryk participated in a final spacewalk conference with specialists on the ground, alongside NASA flight engineers Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins. In order to supervise the spacewalkers and operate the Canadarm2, Watkins and Delaney also became acquainted with the lighting conditions and camera locations on the exterior of the space station. At the conclusion of their shift, the four astronauts convened for a conference with robotics engineers to deliberate on the operations of Canadarm2 that were scheduled for the spacewalk.

Roscosmos' three cosmonauts maintained their scientific pursuits and acquainted themselves with the spacewalk operations scheduled for Thursday during a day of light duty on Wednesday. During the crew's sleep shift, station commander Pyotr Dubrov removed multi-wavelength Earth photography equipment that had autonomously captured Pacific and Atlantic Ocean landmarks. Flight engineer Sergey Teteryatnikov installed an alternative set of Earth imagery equipment for an additional overnight session in order to capture images of South American glaciers and Pacific islands. Meanwhile, flight engineer Anna Kikina jogged on the treadmill of the Zvezda service module to assess her fitness in microgravity.