Spacewalk underway to prepare ISS for upcoming solar array upgrades

NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins arrived at the space station on October 14, 2020, aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, while Glover arrived at the space station in November 2020, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon. This is the third career spacewalk for each.

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Victor Glover began their spacewalk at approx. 6:12 am ET on Sunday to prepare the International Space Station for the upcoming solar array upgrades.

The spacewalk which is expected to last about six and a half hours can be watched live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and on the agency's website. It is the 235th spacewalk in the history of station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

.@NASA_Astronauts are working together to attach bracket and support struts at the base of the station's solar arrays to enable new solar arrays to be installed in the future. #AskNASA | https://t.co/cBNqC5JGaz pic.twitter.com/wL7mVEs68S

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) February 28, 2021

The spacewalkers are working together to build bracket structures and attach the bracket and support struts to the mast canister, the base, of one of the P6 solar arrays - the farthest set of solar arrays on the station's left (port) side.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins arrived at the space station on October 14, 2020, aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, while Glover arrived at the space station in November 2020, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon. This is the third career spacewalk for each.

A look at both @NASA_Astronauts working outside the @Space_Station today: Kate Rubins & @AstroVicGlover. They're installing bracket support structures at the base of the station's solar arrays, to enable future upgrades to the arrays. pic.twitter.com/Ed5OrxX8lt

— NASA (@NASA) February 28, 2021

The next or the 236th spacewalk will be conducted by Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi on Friday, March 5, The duo will venture outside the orbiting outpost to vent ammonia from the Early Ammonia System and complete several other tasks.

Live coverage of the March 5 spacewalk will also air on NASA TV as well as on the NASA app and the NASA's official website.