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How to watch astronauts upgrade the ISS power system

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UPDATE: Due to a medical issue affecting one of the two participating astronauts, NASA has postponed the spacewalk scheduled for Tuesday, August 24. We’ll update here when NASA sets a new date. Below you can find out about the work that will be conducted during the spacewalk when it takes place. 

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As part of ongoing upgrades to the International Space Station’s power system, two astronauts will take a stroll outside the station soon. You’ll be able to watch along from home as they perform a spacewalk to install hardware in preparation for a new solar array which will soon be installed.

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What to expect from the spacewalk

The International Space Station’s solar arrays.
The International Space Station’s solar arrays provide power for the orbiting laboratory. NASA will install a total of six new roll-out solar arrays in front of the existing arrays at 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B to augment the power. During the spacewalk, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and astronaut Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will install the modification kit on the 4A power channel, where the next new roll out solar array will be installed in 2022. NASA

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Japanese space agency JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will be performing the spacewalk. They’ll be working to prepare power channel 4A, shown in the diagram above, by installing a support bracket for the new solar array known as an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSA).

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Two of these arrays have already been installed, and this installation will be the third of six. The array in question provides power to several parts of the station, including the U.S. Laboratory, the Harmony module, and the Columbus module.

The current solar arrays were originally designed to last for 15 years, but some have been working for more than 20 years. Although the arrays are still functional, over time their efficiency is reduced. Between that and developments in solar array technology, the new arrays will provide more power than the old arrays, even though they are smaller.

How to watch the spacewalk

The spacewalk will be shown live on NASA TV. You can watch either using the video embedded at the top of this page or by heading to the NASA website.

Digital Trends will update this section once NASA has set a new date and time for the spacewalk.

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Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet
Space Writer
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
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