NASA is making final preparations for its first spacewalk since January. It’ll also be the first all-female spacewalk since November 2023 and only the fifth in NASA’s history.
Astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will be participating in the so-called “extravehicular activity (EVA)” on Thursday, May 1.
It’ll be McLain’s third EVA after taking part in two others during a previous ISS stay in 2019. As Ayers only arrived in orbit for the first time last month, this will be her debut spacewalk.
The pair will exit the station’s Quest airlock for a spacewalk that’s expected to last around six-and-a-half hours.
“The NASA duo will install a modification kit on the port side of the station’s truss structure enabling the future installation of the orbiting lab’s seventh rollout solar array,” the space agency said in a recent post. “They will also relocate an antenna that communicates with approaching and departing commercial crew and cargo spacecraft.”
McClain and Ayers have been preparing for the EVA by making adjustments to their spacesuits to make sure that the helmets, boots, and arm and leg assemblies all fit together in the proper way.
They also powered up and checked the functionality of different parts of the spacesuit, including the glove heaters, data recorders, cameras, and helmet lights. Finally, McClain and Ayers spent some time configuring the tools that they’ll be using during their time outside the station.
How to watch
NASA will livestream the entirety of the spacewalk on Thursday, May 1. Astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are expected to exit the ISS at about 8 a.m. ET for an EVA that will last around six-and-a-half hours. McClain can be identified by the spacesuit with the red stripe, while Ayers will be wearing an unmarked spacesuit.
You can watch the spacewalk via the NASA+ channel. Alternatively, you can view it via the video player that we’ll embed at the top of this page just as soon as it becomes available.
The EVA coverage will include views from multiple cameras attached to the ISS and also to the astronauts themselves. You’ll also be able to hear live commentary explaining the astronauts’ activities, as well as the live feed between the astronauts and NASA officials back on the ground.