On October 25th, Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will be performing an estimated 7 hour spacewalk outside the ISS. The EVA, which will be streamed lived on NASA TV, their website, and the mobile app, starting at 1:45 EDT, will be aimed at accomplishing 3 individual tasks.
Firstly, Kononenko and Chub will install a new communications system based on synthetic radar, followed by deployment of a nanosatellite equipped with an experimental solar sail.
Their 3rd goal, focusing on ISS maintenance and safety, will be to examine and gather images of a secondary radiator that developed a coolant leak outside the Nauka module on October 9th. While the leak has not posed a danger to ISS operations or the crew, spacewalks often include inspection and repair of vital components on the station’s exterior.
This leak is an additional hazard to this spacewalk as ammonia flakes could be present in the inspection area. Should any flakes become dislodged and attach to one of their spacesuits, it could harm the spacewalkers when they remove their suits in the airlock. NASA and Roscosmos are taking extra precautions as a result.
