In preparation for today’s spacewalk, four astronauts belonging to Expedition 69 are gearing up to upgrade the power system of the International Space Station (ISS) by installing a new solar array. The solar array was delivered to the station through the SpaceX Dragon vehicle. At the same time, three cosmonauts are engaged in heart and plasma research while ensuring the smooth operation of the station.
The four Expedition 69 astronauts are making their final preparations for today’s spacewalk, which aims to further enhance the ISS’s power generation capabilities. Concurrently, the three cosmonauts aboard the orbital outpost are focused on conducting heart research and studying plasma physics, all while diligently maintaining the station’s systems.
At 9:15 a.m. EDT on Friday, NASA Flight Engineers Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg will activate their Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), or spacesuits, and commence the spacewalk. Their primary task will be to install a roll-out solar array on the starboard truss structure of the station. Prior to the spacewalk, the duo has staged their EMUs and spacewalking tools inside the Quest airlock, from where they will exit the station into the vacuum of space. Joining them for a final review of their spacewalking tasks and robotic support procedures are Flight Engineers Frank Rubio of NASA and Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Rubio and Alneyadi will provide assistance to Bowen and Hoburg from inside the station during the spacewalk.
Meanwhile, inside the Destiny laboratory module of the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Woody Hoburg, Frank Rubio, and Stephen Bowen, all from NASA, had the opportunity to communicate with elementary and junior high school students back on Earth.
The roll-out solar arrays, transported by the SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle, arrived on Tuesday and were subsequently detached from Dragon’s unpressurized trunk by ground engineers on Wednesday. The Canadarm2 robotic arm was used to securely fasten the solar arrays to a pallet on the starboard truss, in preparation for their installation during Friday’s spacewalk.
On the Roscosmos side of the space station, Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin collaborated on a prolonged study investigating the effects of weightlessness on the human heart. Prokopyev also disconnected the hardware supporting a plasma study that examines electrically-charged micro-particles, including electrons, ions, and neutral gases. Petelin, on the other hand, focused on enhancing communication systems between international crews and mission controllers worldwide. Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent the day performing maintenance tasks on the computer and power systems.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Spacewalk Upgrade
What is the purpose of the spacewalk mentioned in the text?
The purpose of the spacewalk is to upgrade the power system of the International Space Station (ISS) by installing a new solar array.
How many astronauts are involved in the spacewalk?
Four astronauts from Expedition 69 are preparing for the spacewalk.
What other tasks are the cosmonauts working on during this time?
The cosmonauts are conducting heart and plasma research while also ensuring the operational efficiency of the space station.
How did the solar array arrive at the ISS?
The solar array was delivered to the ISS through the SpaceX Dragon vehicle.
What role does the Canadarm2 robotic arm play in the installation process?
The Canadarm2 robotic arm was used to remove the solar arrays from the Dragon’s unpressurized trunk and attach them to a pallet on the starboard truss in preparation for the spacewalk.
What type of research are the astronauts conducting inside the Destiny laboratory module?
The astronauts are engaged in heart research and studying plasma physics inside the Destiny laboratory module.
Who are the astronauts communicating with during their time in the Destiny laboratory module?
The astronauts have the opportunity to communicate with elementary and junior high school students back on Earth.
What other maintenance tasks are being performed on the space station?
Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev is working on computer and power systems maintenance throughout the day.
More about Spacewalk Upgrade
- NASA – International Space Station
- SpaceX
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- Roscosmos – Russian Space Agency
