NASA to conduct first spacewalk in eight months on November 15

NASA is set to resume spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS) after an eight-month hiatus following a water-related incident in an astronaut’s helmet on March 23. The first spacewalk is scheduled for November 15, and NASA will provide live coverage of the seven-hour event.

To watch the spacewalk, viewers can tune in to NASA Television, the NASA app, or the provided YouTube link, with live coverage starting at 5 PM IST on November 15.

During the spacewalk, NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio will exit the ISS through the Quest airlock to assemble a mounting bracket on the station’s truss assembly. These mounting brackets are crucial for installing solar arrays later on, enhancing electrical power for the space station.

The suspension of spacewalks in March was prompted by the discovery of a small amount of water in European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer’s helmet after his spacewalk. Following the incident, Maurer’s space suit and water samples were sent back to Earth for detailed testing. NASA determined that the excess water in the suit resulted from condensation due to the integrated suit systems concurrently performing multiple settings for crew cooling and exertion.

NASA ruled out hardware failures as the cause and, following an update to operational procedures and the development of new hardware to mitigate condensation, gave approval to resume spacewalks. The upcoming event marks a significant step in the continuation of extravehicular activities outside the ISS.