It’s just as true in space as it is on Earth: the best way to kick off the New Year is by doing all those nagging chores. A pair of astronauts are heading out of the ISS to replace a failed voltage regulator today. Astronaut chores are so much cooler than terrestrial ones.
You can check in on the spacewalk starting at 6:30sm ET. The astronauts will be outside the station from approximately 7:55am until 2:25pm ET.
Astronauts Tim Peake (the first official UK spacewalker) and Tim Kopra will spend around 6.5 hours replacing the voltage regulator, restoring power to one of eight power channels. The electrical fault is from a short in November that tripped a switching device, but couldn’t be fixed until the right supplies arrived. The fix is actually really simple—the two Tims will only need to remove one bolt.
Kopra in the airlock as Peake suits up in a SAFER emergency jet pack. Image credit: NASA/ESA
After making repairs, the astronauts will continue modifying the station to prepare for future commercial crew vehicles. They’ll be rigging cables in preparation for installing new docking adapters for Boeing Starliner and the SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Update: The spacewalk ended early due to water in Peake’s helmet.
[NASA]
Top image: NASA astronaut Tim Kopra [left] and UK astronaut Tim Peake organize their tools prior to exiting the station. Credit: NASA
Contact the author at mika.mckinnon@io9.com or follow her at @MikaMcKinnon.