ISS Astronauts Start Repair Spacewalk Soon

International Space Station Commander Sunita Williams will be spacewalking

NASA astronaut and International Space Station Commander Sunita Williams and Japanese spaceflyer Akihiko Hoshide are slated to start the spacewalk — also known as an extra-vehicular activity, or EVA — Thursday at 8:15 a.m. EDT. They're expected to stay outside for about 6 1/2 hours, NASA officials said. You can watch live coverage of the spacewalk here on NASA-TV, beginning at 7:15 a.m. EDT.  

The space station is equipped with eight huge solar arrays with each having its own associated power system and ammonia is used to cool down this gear. The task of the spacewalk is to detect the source of an ammonia leak, which can put out of order one of the arrays if not isolated and repaired.

 

Williams will be expanding her record for having the longest time in space as a female spacewalking astronaut. She currently has 44 hours of spacewalk time and is expected to have over 50 by the end of her Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 EVA.