NASA to broadcast coverage of three August International Space Station spacewalks
A preview news conference will be held on July 30 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to outline the objectives for the 281st, 282nd, and 283rd spacewalks.
NASA has announced plans to provide live coverage for three United States spacewalks scheduled to take place at the International Space Station in August. The extravehicular activities are part of ongoing maintenance and upgrade operations, including the modification of power channels for new solar arrays, the replacement of critical communications hardware, and preparations for the station’s eventual deorbit.
A preview news conference will be held at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 30, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. United States-based media interested in attending in person must contact the Johnson newsroom by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, at [email protected]. Media joining by phone should request dial-in details by the same deadline, and questions must be submitted no later than 15 minutes before the conference begins.
The first of these operations, designated as spacewalk 96, involves astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon exiting the Quest airlock. This mission aims to modify the station’s 3B power channel in preparation for the installation of an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array. The solar array, scheduled for delivery later this year, will be the seventh IROSA installed and is designed to provide additional power for critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.
Meir will serve as spacewalk crew member 1, wearing a suit with red stripes, marking her sixth spacewalk. Menon will serve as crew member 2 in an unmarked suit, making this his first spacewalk. The event is expected to begin at 8 a.m. and last approximately six and a half hours, with live coverage starting at 6:30 a.m.
Subsequent spacewalks will focus on replacing a Space-to-Ground antenna, a critical system for transmitting data and high-speed communication between the Mission Control Center in Houston and the ISS. The third spacewalk, number 98, will see crew members connect power channel cables and data relay systems, replace a navigational aid on the Harmony module’s forward port, and conduct maintenance in preparation for the station’s future deorbit. NASA will share additional details about spacewalks 97 and 98, including timing and assigned crew members, closer to each operation.
