posted 12-29-2025 12:06 PM               

ISS Expedition 74: U.S. Spacewalk 95

NASA astronauts will perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

Expedition 74 crewmates Jessica Meir and Chris Williams will replace a wrist joint that malfunctioned during normal Canadarm2 operations on May 27 after the remote manipulator arm drew elevated motor current and did not move as expected.

NASA worked alongside the Canadian Space Agency to understand the issue and determined a spacewalk was required to replace the joint using a spare already aboard the space station. Repairs to robotics, like Canadarm2, are normal and expected after more than 25 years of continuous operations, as the system was designed with replaceable components and planned maintenance in mind.

This spacewalk will be the second for Williams and the fifth for Meir. Williams will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Meir will serve as crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. It will be the 280th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

posted 06-29-2026 02:32 PM               

Astronauts Ready for Tuesday Spacewalk

Mission managers have given the final go for NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir to begin a spacewalk at 8:35 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 30.

Williams and Meir will work in the vacuum of space for about six hours and 40 minutes and replace a malfunctioning wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm that was installed on the orbital outpost on April 26, 2001. This will be the duo's second spacewalk together. NASA+ will begin its live coverage at 7 a.m. EDT on June 30.

Williams and Meir spent Monday organizing spacewalking tools and checking spacesuits inside the Quest airlock where they will exit the space station for the robotics maintenance job.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) assisted the upcoming spacewalkers with the tool work and studied the delicate maneuvers they will use to position the Canadarm2 for its repair job. Hathaway and Adenot will monitor the spacewalkers on Tuesday, help them in and out of their suits, and carefully maneuver Canadarm2 into position for repair access.

All four astronauts gathered together at the end of Monday's shift for a final procedures review and a readiness conference with specialists on the ground.

posted 06-30-2026 07:19 AM               

On June 30, 2026, NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir will venture outside the International Space Station for an approximately six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The pair will replace a wrist joint on the orbital complex's Canadarm2 robotic arm.

posted 06-30-2026 03:05 PM               

Astronauts complete repair of Canadarm2

Chris Williams and Jessica Meir, both flight engineers on the station's Expedition 74 crew, spent 7 hours and 20 minutes repairing the Canadarm2 remote manipulator system (RMS) after it was observed drawing current but not moving as expected in late May.

Williams and Meir ventured outside the Quest airlock soon after switching the spacesuits to battery power at 8:20 a.m. EDT (1220 GMT) on Tuesday (June 30). They made quick work of transitioning to their work station, where they retrieved a spare wrist joint by using a power tool (pistol grip unit) to unbolt it from an exterior equipment panel.

They then turned their focus to the arm, which was positioned nearby. They removed the old unit and installed the new joint (no. 5), bolting it in place. Williams and Meir brought the faulty joint back into the space station to be returned to Earth for analysis and its possible refurbish.

The astronauts completed their work on the arm by reattaching its latching end effector, or hand, that the arm uses to grapple objects and inchworm across the exterior of the station. Mission Control confirmed the arm had good power connections after the astronauts' work.

Williams and Meir returned to the Quest airlock and began its depressurization at 3:40 p.m. EDT (1940 GMT), marking an end to the spacewalk.

Tuesday EVA (extravehicular activity) marked the fourth time in history that spacewalkers have worked to service the Canadarm2. Previously, another wrist joint was replaced and both of the arm's end effectors were swapped out for spares.

This was Williams' second spacewalk and the fifth for Meir. Williams has now logged 14 hours and 22 minutes, including a previous extravehicular activity (EVA) with Meir. Meir has totaled 36 hours and 6 minutes, including the first all-female EVA in 2019.