NASA to Cover US Spacewalk 93, Hold Preview News Conference
- NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will conduct U.S. spacewalk 93 on May 1 to upgrade the International Space Station’s power storage capacity.
- The spacewalk, scheduled for about six and a half hours, will involve relocating a communications antennae and installing a mounting bracket for additional solar arrays that will boost power generation capability by up to 30%.
- This will be the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers, who will wear different colored suits: McClain in red stripes and Ayers in an unmarked suit.
- The upgrade aims to increase the station’s total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts, with NASA providing additional information on live coverage details when available.
- A preview news conference will be held on April 24 at 2 p.m. EDT, featuring NASA officials and media can participate in person or by phone until April 23.
Two NASA astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station, conducting U.S. spacewalk 93 on Thursday, May 1, to complete station upgrades.
NASA will preview the upcoming spacewalk during a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 24, on the agency’s website from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Participants in the news conference include:
- Bill Spetch, operations integration manager, International Space Station Program
- Diana Trujillo, spacewalk flight director, NASA Johnson
Media interested in participating in person or by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. To ask questions, media must dial in no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the news conference. Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.
The spacewalk is scheduled to last about six and a half hours. NASA will provide additional information, including live NASA+ coverage details, when available.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will relocate a space station communications antennae and install a mounting bracket ahead of the installation of an additional set of International Space Station Rollout Solar Arrays, also called IROSA. The arrays will boost power generation capability by up to 30%, increasing the station’s total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts. The arrays will be installed on a future spacewalk following their arrival on a SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply services mission later this year.
McClain will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Ayers will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. This will be the third spacewalk for McClain and the first for Ayers. U.S. spacewalk 93 will be the 275th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
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Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.oshea@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov