ISS - Expedition 63 Mission patch.
June 23, 2020
The Expedition 63 crew is reviewing tasks and trying on spacesuits today ahead of two spacewalks set to begin Friday. Another microsatellite is set to be deployed from the International Space Station today.
Two NASA astronauts spent all day Tuesday preparing for the first of two spacewalks that will start on Friday at 7:35 a.m. EDT. Commander Chris Cassidy and Flight Engineer Bob Behnken began the morning on a specialized computer going over the complex tasks they will use to upgrade station power systems. The second spacewalk is scheduled for July 1 at 7:20 a.m.
Image above: Expedition 63 Flight Engineer Bob Behnken poses with a U.S. spacesuit he is preparing for two spacewalks planned for June 26 and July 1 to upgrade power systems on the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.
Space station managers will provide more details about the spacewalks during a live briefing on NASA TV starting Wednesday at 2 p.m. NASA TV will also begin its live coverage of Friday’s spacewalk at 6 a.m.
Flight Engineer Doug Hurley partnered with the spacewalkers in the morning and reviewed the Canadarm2 robotic arm procedures necessary to execute the maintenance spacewalks. Cosmonaut Ivan Vagner joined the trio in the afternoon helping Cassidy and Behnken in and out of their U.S. spacesuits to verify they fit.
Maintenance spacewalks on ISS. Animation Credit: NASA
The third Red-Eye microsatellite is staged outside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module ready for deployment today at 5:10 p.m. The station’s fine-tuned Canadian robotic hand, known as Dextre, grappled Red-Eye installed inside the Kaber Microsat Deployer from which it will be ejected. It will test satellite communications, flight computers and thermal management technologies.
Related links:
Expedition 63: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition63/index.html
Commercial Crew Program: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html
NASA TV: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
Canadarm2 robotic arm: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html
Red-Eye microsatellite: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7530
Kibo laboratory module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/japan-kibo-laboratory
Kaber Microsat Deployer: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1788
Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/overview.html
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia.
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