International Space Station: Thomas Pesquet will make two space walks next week
Never change the winning team. Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, currently on the International Space Station (ISS), will conduct two spacewalks next week with Shane Kimbrough, the American astronaut who had already accompanied him twice outside the station during his first mission in 2017. “Every spacewalk will continue “About 6 hours and 30 minutes,” NASA said in a statement on Monday.
The two teammates will be installing two new solar panels, one on June 16 and the other on June 20. They were provided by Boeing and RedWire, and arrived at the station last Saturday aboard the Dragon SpaceX cargo ship. Of the eight supply channels that make up the International Space Station, six must undergo a renovation within the next two years. “Existing solar panels are performing well but are beginning to show signs of deterioration, as expected, having been designed for 15 years,” NASA says.
The space station’s first pair of original solar panels were deployed in December 2000 and have powered the station for more than 20 years. The new solar panels will be placed in front of six of the existing panels, increasing the total power available for the plant from 160 kilowatts to a maximum of 215 kilowatts, the US agency explained.
More than a year of preparation
As Thomas Pesquet, 43, performs his third and fourth scuba dives while installing the first two boards, this will be the seventh and eighth time that American Shane Kimbrough, 54, has participated in this tiring, and demanding workout. out of focus, but astronauts often experience it as an incredible experience.
“It has taken over a year to prepare for two spacewalks that will take place next week. This kind of non-standard operation involves very different areas and a great deal of coordination. Thank you to those who made our outings possible!” Thomas Pesquet tweeted on Monday.
A new message, Thursday from the French astronaut: “We continue to prepare for a spacewalk with astro_kimbrough. This week we are mainly working on wetsuits.”
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