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.