Two NASA astronauts are currently performing a spacewalk , having headed outside of the International Space Station ( ISS ) at 8:01 a.m. ET this forenoon , Thursday , January 16 . They are on a job expected to last for around six and a one-half hours , working to repair an ecstasy - ray telescope fit to the outside of the station bid NICER ( Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer ) .
The astronaut are Nick Hague and Suni Williams , and they are performing NASA ’s first spacewalk inmore than six months , following a hanging of spacewalk activities after a leak job with a spacesuit in June 2024 . With no problems with the suit of clothes thus far , Hague and Williams have been performing work to set up special patches to the telescope . These patches will prevent too much light from go in the telescope and disrupting its Reading , and they will cover over areas of the existing light filter which has been damaged .
On social media , representatives for NASA give thanks the couplet for their body of work in recompense the telescope , which is used to enquire very dense target called neutron genius by observing XTC - beam of light , and which has previously make astunning map of the skyshowing ecstasy - irradiation reservoir as seen from the ISS .
With some checking and calibration study to perform , NICER should be back to take science observation shortly .
The piece for our NICER telescope have been installed thanks to@NASA_AstronautsNick Hague !
The next steps for the NICER team admit unstowing the telescope and re-start daytime observations to test the data point with the patches installed . persist tuned for updates.pic.twitter.com/JhFgskAmlj
& mdash ; NASA Universe ( @NASAUniverse)January 16 , 2025
While on their spacewalk , Hague and Williams will be perform some other job too , include removing and then replace a station part call a rate gyroscope assembly . These help to keep the post in the right orientation as it orbits the Earth at 250 miles above the planet ’s control surface . They will also be doing other maintenance , like replacing a reflector gadget on one of the station ’s tying up adapter . These reflectors are used for seafaring , serve to signal the office of the docking expanse . in the end , they will also check over an expanse that will have upkeep piece of work perform on it in future tense .
This future spacewalk will take on maintenance on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer , an“unfixable ” dark subject instrumentfrom 2011 which astronauts succeed in repair in 2023 . The tool was designed to last only for three twelvemonth and was not intended to be maintained by astronauts , but chip in its scientific note value , NASA was able to make up Modern tool to open up it up and upgrade its cooling system , allowing it to continue operating .
you could watch along with the spacewalk here :
