Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is preparing for his second spacewalk in just 10 days as he steps outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday to help replace a critical communications antenna aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Menon, currently serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 75, will be joined by European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot for the six-and-a-half-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), which is scheduled to begin at 6:05 pm IST.
The primary objective of the spacewalk is to remove an aging high-speed data and communications antenna and install a spare unit on the station’s Z1 truss segment, a key structural component located above the ISS.
The antenna plays an important role in maintaining communications and data transmission between the space station and Earth.
During the operation, the astronauts will swap antennas between the Z1 truss and an external storage platform before making a series of delicate electrical and data connections to activate the replacement hardware.
NASA said the crew spent Monday conducting final preparations for the mission. Menon and Adenot inspected safety tethers, organized spacewalking tools and reviewed procedures inside the station’s Quest airlock.
One of the most challenging aspects of the mission will see Menon riding aboard the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm while carrying out work outside the orbiting complex. Adenot, meanwhile, will remain tethered to the station as the pair work together in the vacuum of space.
Inside the ISS, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and station commander Jessica Meir will support the operation by monitoring the spacewalkers and operating Canadarm2. The two astronauts spent Monday reviewing camera angles, lighting configurations and robotic arm maneuvers needed for the mission.
WATCH NASA’S ANIL MENON CONDUCT SPACEWALK LIVE HERE
Beyond station maintenance, Expedition 75 crew members also continued scientific work on Monday, including cardiac health studies, artificial intelligence experiments and Earth observation research.
Menon’s latest EVA highlights NASA’s growing reliance on the Indian-origin astronaut, who joined the astronaut corps in 2021.
A physician, engineer and former SpaceX flight surgeon, Menon has become one of the key members of the station crew, helping maintain the orbital outpost while advancing scientific research in microgravity.
The upcoming spacewalk is expected to further strengthen the ISS’s communications capabilities as the station continues supporting international scientific missions hundreds of kilometers above Earth.
– Ends
Source link
[ad_3]
