NASA TV Previews and Broadcasts Space Station U.S. Spacewalks

NASA News Releases <hqnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:38:08 +0000 (UTC)

    February 12, 2015

    NASA TV Previews and Broadcasts Space Station U.S. Spacewalks  

  The mirror like visor of NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman reflects NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore during their Oct. 15, 2014 spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Both Flight Engineers are in the process of making repairs which include removing and replacing a power regulator known as a sequential shunt unit, which failed back in mid-May. The two spacewalkers also moved TV and camera equipment in preparation for the relocation of the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module to accommodate the installation of new docking adapters for future commercial crew vehicles.
Image Credit: NASA  

Two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station’s Expedition 42 crew will venture outside the orbital complex on Friday, Feb. 20; Tuesday, Feb. 24; and Sunday, March 1. They will prepare cables and communications gear for new docking ports that will allow future crews launched from Florida on U.S. commercial spacecraft to dock to the space station. 
NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore holds a 3-D printed ratchet wrench manufactured by a 3-D printer aboard the International Space Station. 
Image Credit: NASA

NASA TV will provide comprehensive coverage, beginning with a preview news briefing Wednesday, Feb. 18. 
NASA astronaut Terry Virts works with the SPINSAT, an expimental device aboard the International Space Station that tests movement and positioning of small satellites in space using new technology micro-thrusters. 
Image Credit: NASA

The preview briefing will be broadcast at 2 p.m. EST from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Media may take part in person or by telephone. Reporters who want to ask questions by phone must call Johnson’s newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. Cell phones are discouraged.

The panelists for the briefing are:

Kenneth Todd, International Space Station Operations and Integration manager
	Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, Expedition 42 lead flight director
	Karina Eversley, Extravehicular Activity (EVA) # 29 officer
	Sarah Korona, EVA # 30 officer
	Arthur Thomason, EVA # 31 officer

Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts will exit the station from the Quest airlock for each of the three spacewalks around 7:10 a.m. NASA TV coverage of the approximately six-and-a-half hour spacewalks will begin at 6 a.m.

Built by Boeing under contract to NASA, the International Docking Adapters are a critical component of the station's reconfiguration to ensure long-term docking ports for future commercial crew and other visiting spacecraft. They will permit the standard station crew size to grow from six to seven, potentially doubling the amount of time devoted to research aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The two new docking adapters will be launched to the station on a pair of SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft this year. Astronauts will install the first of two adapters on Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 on the forward end of the station’s Harmony module during a future spacewalk. The second adapter will be installed on Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 after it is relocated robotically to the space-facing port of Harmony later this year.

The spacewalks will be the 185th, 186th and 187th in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Wilmore has conducted one spacewalk in his career last October. The spacewalks will be the first of Virts' career.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about the International Space Station, its research and i crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100
jbuck@xxxxxxxx

Dan Huot

Johnson Space Center, Houston

281-483-5111
daniel.g.huot@xxxxxxxx

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