posted 10-05-2019 08:54 PM               

ISS Expedition 61: U.S. Spacewalk 56

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are set to begin the first in a series of five spacewalks to replace some of the orbiting lab's solar array batteries.

Expedition 61 spacewalkers Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan will begin the work to install new batteries on the far end of the Port-6 truss structure. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin on Sunday, Oct. 6, at about 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 GMT).

The two astronauts will remove the existing nickel-hydrogen batteries and replace them with newer, more powerful lithium-ion batteries transported to the space station aboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle that arrived Saturday, Sept. 28.

This spacewalk (extravehicular activity or EVA) and the four to follow in the coming weeks continue the overall upgrade of the station's power system that began with similar battery replacement during spacewalks in January 2017.

Koch, conducing her second career spacewalk, will serve as EV1 and wear an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) with red stripes. Morgan, as EV2, will wear the spacesuit without stripes on what is also his second EVA.

posted 10-06-2019 02:21 PM               

Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan removed two of the old nickel-hydrogen batteries, installed two new lithium-ion batteries and installed one adapter plate, integrating one of the two new batteries into the space station's power system.

Koch now has logged a total of 13 hours and 46 minutes on her two spacewalks. Morgan has a total of 13 hours and 33 minutes spanning his two EVAs.

This was the 219th spacewalk devoted to the International Space Station since assembly of the outpost began in 1998. Astronauts and cosmonauts have now spent 1,374 hours and 27 minutes, or 57.3 days, working outside the orbiting complex.