![\"NASA](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2019\/10\/blog_iss061e006498.jpg\")
Expedition 61<\/a>\u00a0Flight Engineers\u00a0Christina Koch\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Jessica Meir<\/a>\u00a0of NASA will begin a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station about 7:50 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 18. NASA Television coverage of the first ever all-female spacewalk<\/a> will begin at 6:30 a.m.<\/p>\n Watch the spacewalk on NASA TV and the agency\u2019s\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Flight Engineers Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will venture out into the vacuum of space on Friday to replace a faulty power controller, also known as a battery charge-discharge unit (BCDU). The BCDU regulates the charge to the batteries that collect and distribute solar power to the orbiting lab\u2019s systems. The unit they are replacing failed to activate following the Oct. 11 installation of new lithium-ion batteries on the space station\u2019s exterior structure.<\/p>\n Koch is designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1), wearing the suit with red stripes. Meir is designated extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2), wearing the suit with no stripes. Koch\u2019s helmet camera will carry the number 18, and Meir\u2019s helmet camera will carry the number 11.<\/p>\n Commander\u00a0Luca Parmitano<\/a>\u00a0of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA Flight Engineer\u00a0Andrew Morgan<\/a>\u00a0will assist the spacewalkers. Parmitano will control the\u00a0Canadarm2 robotics arm<\/a>\u00a0and Morgan will provide airlock and spacesuit support.<\/p>\n Although it will be the 221st spacewalk<\/a> performed in support of space station assembly and maintenance, it is the first to be conducted entirely by women.\u00a0This will be Koch\u2019s fourth spacewalk and Meir\u2019s first.<\/p>\n Station managers are investigating the loss of the BCDU and will reschedule the remaining three battery replacement spacewalks for a future date. In the meantime, the five planned spacewalks to repair a cosmic particle detector, the\u00a0Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer<\/a>, are still on the calendar for November and December.<\/p>\n Learn more about station activities by following the\u00a0space station blog<\/a>,\u00a0@space_station<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@ISS_Research<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter as well as the\u00a0ISS Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ISS Instagram<\/a>\u00a0accounts.<\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Garcia <\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Expedition 61<\/a>\u00a0Flight Engineers\u00a0Christina Koch\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Jessica Meir<\/a>\u00a0of NASA will begin a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station about 7:50 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 18. NASA Television coverage of the first ever all-female spacewalk<\/a> will begin at 6:30 a.m.<\/p>\n Watch the spacewalk on NASA TV and the agency\u2019s\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Flight Engineers Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will venture out into the vacuum of space on Friday to replace a faulty power controller, also known as a battery charge-discharge unit (BCDU). The BCDU regulates the charge to the batteries that collect and distribute solar power to the orbiting lab\u2019s systems. The unit they are replacing failed to activate following the Oct. 11 installation of new lithium-ion batteries on the space station\u2019s exterior structure.<\/p>\n Koch is designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1), wearing the \u2026 Continue reading NASA TV Broadcasts All-Female Spacewalk on Friday<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch are inside the Quest airlock preparing the U.S. spacesuits and tools they will use on their first spacewalk together. <\/p>\n