This Friday, January 20, two astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) will exit the Station’s Quest airlock. to install new hardware on the exterior of the ISS, which will be its first spacewalk.
The two astronauts who will perform the spacewalk will be NASA astronomer, nicole mannand Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata.
According to the report published on the website of Digital Trends, the astronauts will be working on the ongoing project to upgrade the Space Station’s power system, which involves the installation of new solar panels called iROSAs. So far, four out of a total of six have been installed since 2021.
However, Mann and Wakata will not be installing solar panels this time, instead they will install two mounting platforms that will be used to install panels in the future.
NASA explained: “The duo will complete the installation of an assembly platform on power channel 1B that was started during a previous spacewalk and begin installing an assembly platform on power channel 1A.”.
How to see the walk
Mann will wear a white suit with no markings, while Wakata will wear a white suit with red stripes. If you’re interested in seeing what it’s like to work in space, NASA will livestream the entire spacewalk along with commentary to explain it.
The walk will be broadcast live on NASA TV. Spacewalk coverage will begin at 7 a.m. ET (4 a.m. PT) on Friday, January 20, and the spacewalk itself is scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m. ET (5:15 a.m. PT). The coverage will be extended during the spacewalk, which is estimated to take around six and a half hours.
