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4w ago

NASA Astronauts Set for 5th All-Female Spacewalk to Upgrade ISS Systems

Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will conduct a 6.5-hour spacewalk Thursday to relocate a communications antenna and prepare for future solar panel installations.

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© NASA
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Overview

  • The spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET Thursday, will be the 275th conducted in support of ISS assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
  • McClain and Ayers will reposition a communications antenna to improve clearance and install a mounting bracket for new solar arrays arriving later this year on a SpaceX Dragon resupply mission.
  • The upcoming solar arrays are expected to increase the ISS's power generation capacity by 30%, boosting output from 160 kW to 215 kW.
  • This marks the fifth all-female spacewalk in NASA’s history and the first for Ayers, while McClain has participated in two prior EVAs.
  • Live coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 6:30 a.m. ET on NASA+, with fellow astronauts Takuya Onishi and Jonny Kim assisting the pair in their preparations aboard the ISS.