Flight engineer Karen Nyberg assists flight engineers Chris Cassidy (left) and Luca Parmitano as they take part in a 'dry run' in the International Space Station in preparation for today's spacewalk. Photo via NASA
Two astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station today on a 6.5-hour spacewalk to prepare the orbiting lab for a new Russian module and to complete maintenance and repair tasks. The event will be the first of two spacewalks scheduled to take place this month.
Flight engineers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency are to begin the spacewalk at 8.10am EDT (1pm IST).
NASA Television is covering the spacewalk live.
Once outside the space station, the two astronauts will work to replace a space-to-Earth communications receiver and wireless video equipment, US space agency NASA said. In addition, they are to install cables and power for a Russian module to be launched later this year.
The new module, which will replace the Pirs module, will serve as a multipurpose laboratory, docking port and airlock for Russian spacewalks.
The second spacewalk is scheduled for 16 July.
