Astronauts Ready for Friday’s Spacewalk — Here’s How to Watch

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency prepare for their next spacewalk on the International Space Station.

The Extravehicular Activity (EVA), as it’s officially called, will take place in the spacewalk on Friday, June 25.

Kimbrough and Pesquet, both expert astronauts, will continue to work on upgrading the space station’s power systems, with tasks that include installing a second solar panel after the first was installed last weekend. Four additional solar panels will be installed during a future spacewalk.

“During a spacewalk, Pesquet will secure himself to the robotic tip of Canadarm2 and then grab [solar array], ” NASA said on their website, adding, “From inside the station, NASA astronaut Megan MacArthur, with NASA astronaut Mark Vandy He as backup, will lead the robotic maneuvering arm and array at Pesquet as soon as possible to the installation site.”

Friday’s EVA will be Kimbro’s ninth and Bisket’s fifth, and the fifth they’ll compete as a team after two spacewalks during the current mission and two previous missions in 2017.

The space agency explained that while current solar panels continue to function well, they are beginning to show their age. The new solar panels were placed ahead of six of the existing ones in a move that will increase the total power available to the satellite from 160 kilowatts to 215 kilowatts. NASA said the same type of solar panels would provide power for some of the world’s the gate, a habitable satellite designed to be in orbit around the moon as part of the agency’s plan to create a long-term and sustainable presence on the moon.

NASA will be active at 6:30 a.m. ET (3:30 a.m. PT) on Friday, June 25. Kimbrough and Pesquet are expected to leave the space station around 8:00 AM ET (5:00 AM PT). The spacewalk is expected to last between six and seven hours. Pesquet will be recognized by the red stripes on his space suit, while Kimbrough will work in an unmarked suit.

The coverage, which can be viewed via the reader at the top of this page, will include footage from several cameras attached to the International Space Station and the astronauts themselves. You’ll also get access to a live audio feed between the astronauts and mission control, while a NASA commentator explains what’s happening while Kimbrough and Pesquet perform their various missions.

EVA can produce stunning images – Check out these great photos It was captured while in space over the years.

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