posted 01-26-2021 08:19 PM               

ISS Expedition 64: U.S. Spacewalk 69

NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover are scheduled to exit the Quest airlock on Wednesday (Jan. 27) for the first in a series of spacewalks to perform upgrades outside of the International Space Station.

Hopkins and Glover are expected to begin the spacewalk at about 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT).

The duo will focus on completing cable and antenna rigging for the "Bartolomeo" science payloads platform outside the European Space Agency's Columbus module. The duo also will configure a Ka-band terminal that will enable an independent, high-bandwidth comm link to European ground stations.

After completing the upgrades on the Columbus module, Hopkins and Glover will remove a grapple fixture bracket on the far port (left) truss in preparation for future solar array upgrades.

The spacewalk will be the third in Hopkins' career and the first for Glover. It will be the 233rd spacewalk overall in support of space station assembly and maintenance.

Hopkins will be designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1) and will wear a spacesuit bearing red stripes. Glover will be EV2 in a suit with no stripes.

posted 01-26-2021 10:26 PM               

Watch live as astronauts Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins of NASA venture outside the International Space Station on Jan. 27. The spacewalk will begin at about 7 a.m. EST and last for approximately six and a half hours.

posted 01-27-2021 12:47 PM               

Hopkins, Glover conclude spacewalk

Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover concluded their spacewalk on Wednesday (Jan. 27) at 1:24 p.m. EST (1824 GMT), 6 hours and 56 minutes after it began at 6:28 a.m. EST (1128 GMT).

The two astronauts completed part of the cable rigging for ESA's Bartolomeo science payloads platform and configured its Ka-band terminal that will enable a communications link to European ground stations.

Hopkins and Glover were successful in connecting four of the six cables needed to bring Bartolomeo online. The platform can now be partially used to mount exterior science platforms, but will not be fully operational until the problem attaching the final two cables can be resolved on a future spacewalk.

Hopkins and Glover also removed two grapple fixture brackets in preparation for the addition of new, more capable solar arrays for the space station.

This was the third spacewalk for Hopkins and the first for Glover.

Space station crew members have conducted 233 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station. Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 61 days, 1 hour and 47 minutes working outside the orbiting laboratory.