NASA is making final preparations for the seventh spacewalk to take place on the International Space Station (ISS) this year. On Friday, June 9, American astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg will leave the station as it orbits about 250 kilometers above Earth. The entire event can be followed live, so it is possible not to miss any detail of an event that is still as important as it is dangerous. Point is, Bowen and Hoburg will exit the station’s Quest airlock Friday morning to install an upgraded IROSA (International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array) in power channel 1A on the starboard beam of the season. The new solar panels are 60 feet (18.2 meters) long and 20 feet (6 meters) wide and will cover just over half of the original panels that are becoming obsolete. Once all the new ones – which are deployable – have been installed, the orbital outpost will achieve a 30% increase in power output compared to the station’s current panels. What to expect from the event NASA’s coverage of the spacewalk will show views from various cameras, including those attached to the astronauts’ space helmets, for a detailed view of what they are doing. Live audio from Bowen, Hoburg, Mission Control and a NASA commentator will also be part of the broadcast. For easy identification, Bowen will wear a red-striped suit, while Hoburg will wear an unmarked suit. How to watch the astronaut walk NASA will broadcast the spacewalk live on Friday, June 9. While the ride itself is expected to begin at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time, NASA’s coverage will begin at 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time. You can watch the spacewalk in the video below, so you don’t have to go anywhere to find out exactly what happens to the astronauts. After Friday’s excursion, NASA’s next spacewalk is planned for Thursday, June 15, and involves the same two astronauts. Incidentally, Friday’s spacewalk on the ISS will be Bowen’s ninth after his first in 2008, while it marks the first for Hoburg, who is on his first trip to Earth orbit. >
