NASA to Broadcast Live Coverage of Two Spacewalks Outside Space Station

NASA is set to broadcast live coverage of two spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS), starting Tuesday, August 18. Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Robert Behnken will venture out of the station to install new lithium-ion batteries and complete other important tasks.

The spacewalks will be conducted over two days and will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency’s website. NASA said the spacewalks are part of a series of spacewalks conducted in August and September to upgrade the station’s power system.

The spacewalks will be the 193rd and 194th spacewalks conducted in support of station assembly and maintenance since 1998. The first spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:35 a.m. EDT Tuesday, August 18 and is expected to last for 6.5 hours. The second spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, August 19 and is expected to last for 6.5 hours.

The spacewalks will be the first since April 23, when European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan conducted a 6.5-hour spacewalk to repair a broken cooling system on the station.

The primary objective of the spacewalks will be to install six new lithium-ion batteries in the station’s power system. The new batteries are part of an upgrade to the station’s power system, which has been in place since the station was launched in 1998. The new batteries will provide more efficient energy storage and will help to improve the overall power system of the station.

In addition to installing the new batteries, the astronauts will also be tasked with completing a variety of other tasks, including routing power cables, replacing a camera, and retrieving a broken antenna. The astronauts will also be testing a new tool designed to aid in the installation of the batteries.

The spacewalks will be conducted by Cassidy and Behnken using U.S. spacesuits. Cassidy will be the lead spacewalker and will be wearing a suit with red stripes. Behnken will be wearing a suit with no stripes.

NASA said it will provide live coverage of the spacewalks on NASA TV and the agency’s website beginning at 5:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, August 18. The spacewalks will also be available to watch on the agency’s website and its mobile app.

The spacewalks are part of a series of spacewalks conducted in August and September to upgrade the station’s power system. The spacewalks are expected to be the last in the series.

NASA said it will continue to provide updates on the spacewalks on its website and social media channels.