NASA Sets Spacewalk for Station Maintenance, Live Coverage Planned

NASA will provide live coverage as two astronauts step outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to replace a spacecraft navigational aid and complete several maintenance tasks. Coverage begins at 7 a.m. EDT, with the spacewalk expected to start at approximately 8:30 a.m. and last about six and a half hours. The event will stream on multiple platforms via https://nasa.gov/live.

During U.S. spacewalk 99, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will replace a retroreflector on the forward port of the Harmony module to support spacecraft navigation during rendezvous and docking. They will also install jumper cables for data-relay systems, prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer's radiator for future maintenance, and replace a high-definition camera on the station's truss.

Adenot will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 with red stripes on her suit, while Meir will be crew member 2 with an unmarked suit. This will be Meir's seventh spacewalk and Adenot's third. Meir will move into third all-time for total spacewalks among women at NASA, trailing Peggy Whitson (10) and Suni Williams (9). The excursion also marks the 284th spacewalk supporting station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.