NASA astronauts conduct historic all-female spacewalk to upgrade ISS

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, two NASA astronauts will perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) as part of U.S. Spacewalk 93. This event marks a milestone as it will be NASA's fifth all-female spacewalk and will feature astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers. The main objective of this spacewalk is to relocate a communications antenna to improve the functionality of the ISS. The repositioning of the antenna is crucial to ensure communication with spacecraft visiting the ISS, facilitating better mission coordination and control. The astronauts will also prepare the station for the upcoming installation of the ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs), which are set to provide an increased power generation capability of up to 30%. This enhancement will raise the total available power of the ISS from 160 kilowatts to 215 kilowatts. The new solar panels are expected to arrive later in 2025 on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during a resupply mission, highlighting NASA's commitment to ongoing upgrades and improvements for the ISS. Diana Trujillo, the spacewalk flight director, explained that the antenna's shift by a foot and a half is necessary to address structural blockage. This critical adjustment allows the ISS to maintain its communication with visiting vehicles, ensuring continuous operations and safety for the astronauts onboard. The spacewalk will begin at 8 a.m. ET, with NASA providing live coverage starting at 6:30 a.m. ET. Both astronauts will be assisted by two other crew members stationed inside the ISS, who will help them into and out of their spacesuits. This will be McClain's third spacewalk and Ayers' first. In preparation for this task, they have completed a series of health checks and equipment readiness assessments. The houses worn during the spacewalk are designed to protect them from the harsh environment of space; they will be filled with oxygen, and the astronauts will breathe pure oxygen for several hours beforehand to avoid gas bubbles that might arise from nitrogen in their bodies. The entire spacewalk is expected to last around six-and-a-half hours, underlining the complexity and significance of this operation.