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NASA Astronauts Move to Repair, Upgrade Space Station Module

VOA News

   Two NASA astronauts are set to embark ontwospacewalksin a week's
   timeoutsidetheInternational Space Station.

   Thefirst of the twospacewalks will be Wednesday andwill focus on
   completingthe installation ofthe Bartolomeo science payloads platform
   outside the European Space Agency'sColumbus module,according to a NASA
   media advisory.

   The tasks will include the replacement of a nickel-hydrogen battery
   with a lithium-ion one. The pair will also upgrade cameras with
   high-definition ones.And addingantenna and cable rigging for power and
   data connections, including a high-bandwidth link for European ground
   stations.

   The Bartolomeo platform, named for the younger brother of Italian
   explorer Christopher Columbus, was delivered to the space stationlast
   March.

   NASA flight engineersMichael Hopkins, a veteran of two previous
   spacewalks, and Victor Glover will be outside the space station for
   about 6½ hours beginning at 7 a.m. EST.

   The second spacewalk,on February 1, willwrap up the battery replacement
   work,in addition toreplacingoldercameraswith high-definition oneson the
   Destiny laboratoryand upgradingcameras and lightsonarobotic arm's
   camera system outside the Kibo module.

   Both spacewalks will be broadcast on the NASA website, beginning at
   5:30 a.m. EST.

   Since 2017, the station has been replacing batteries on the module but
   one of them failed, necessitating the need for replacementnow,
   according to deputy manager of the Space Station, Kenny Todd.

   The secondspacewalkis expected to "make sure we are good for the long
   term" after the firstwalkhas installed communication antenna and
   completed some outfitting work, Toddsaid.

   The astronauts have been preparing for about a yearforthe mission, he
   said.

   For the past 20 years, 242 people from 19 countries have visited the
   unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research
   investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.

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