How to watch first NASA spacewalk of 2019 during International Space Station upgrade

Flight engineers Anne McClain and Nick Hague will begin the walk at 12.05pm GMT (8.05am ET). They are expected to perform maintenance along the ISS structure for six and a half hours. The spacewalk will be live at 10.30am GMT (6.30am ET).

The live show can be watched on NASA Live.

Ms McClain and Mr Hague will replace nickel-hydrogen batteries that power a section of solar arrays.

The batteries will be replaced by lithium-ion versions which NASA said are newer and more powerful, NBC News reported.

The work is part of a huge effort to replace the space station’s power system which began in January 2017.

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The spacewalk will be the first for the two astronauts.

Ms McClain was launched to the ISS in December 2018 while Mr Hague arrived at the space station this March.

He was expected to fly to the station in October 2018 but a rocket malfunction meant his visit was delayed.

Next week, Ms McClain will be on another spacewalk as part of a NASA first.

She will join fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch in NASA’s first all-female spacewalk.

The outing will be aided by on the ground by flight directors Mary Lawrence and Kristen Facciol at NASA’s Mission Control at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Both women were chosen from NASA’s 2013 astronaut candidate class.

Their walk is expected to last up to seven hours but it is unclear what task they will do.

source: express.co.uk