Sunita Williams to conduct 6.5-hour-long spacewalk on THIS date
What's the story
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Commander Sunita Williams are gearing up for the first spacewalk of 2025, set for Thursday, January 16.
The mission, dubbed US spacewalk 91, will be conducted outside the International Space Station (ISS) and is likely to last some six-and-a-half hours.
During this time, they'll perform some critical tasks related to the maintenance and upgrade of the ISS.
Task details
Mission objectives include replacing rate gyro assembly
The main goals of the spacewalk are to replace a rate gyro assembly, which is important for the station's orientation control, and service the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
Hague and Williams will also prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades. This instrument is critical to our understanding of cosmic phenomena.
Astronaut experience
Spacewalk marks Williams's 8th and Hague's 4th
The upcoming spacewalk will mark Williams's eighth and Hague's fourth.
For easy identification, Hague will wear a suit with red stripes while Williams will don an unmarked suit.
This mission is part of a series of planned spacewalks aimed at enhancing the functionality and safety of the ISS.
Beyond their immediate tasks, the astronauts will also check access areas and tools for future maintenance work.
Future plans
Second spacewalk scheduled for January 23
Following this mission, a second spacewalk is planned for January 23 to conduct further upgrades and maintenance activities.
These spacewalks are critical to ensure that the ISS remains operational and effective for ongoing scientific research.
NASA will provide live coverage of the event, marking an important milestone in efforts to maintain and upgrade the ISS as a hub for scientific research and international collaboration in space exploration.