NASA astronauts to go for spacewalk on May 16

New Delhi : May 16 will be marked as remarkable date in the space research history as two NASA astronauts will go out for a spacewalk.  The trip will be conducted to change the thermal control gear that circulates ammonia to keep the International Space Station systems fresh and steady.

NASA’s veteran spacewalkers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel have been selected to make their second spacewalk on June 14. Space Station officials will telecast the upcoming spacewalks live on NASA TV. On May 20, just four days after the first spacewalk, Orbital ATK is planning to launch its re-supply carrier on a four day trip to the orbital laboratory. 

For the cargo mission, Orbital ATK will launch its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, NASA said. Cygnus will resupply the Expedition 55 crew with new science experiments, crew supplies, station hardware and gear that will be installed on the June 14 spacewalk.

For now, NASA will host a media teleconference on May 10. The conference will cover topics to discuss science investigations and technology demonstrations connected to launch on the next Orbital ATK commercial resupply flight to space station.

Ed White was the first American to conduct a spacewalk for Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965. White used the hand-held manoeuvring oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. He started over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes, ending over the Gulf of Mexico.