Here’s how to watch first spacewalk of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi

Dubai: US Space Agency NASA has revealed more details about the first Arab spacewalk by UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, including when and where space aficionados can watch the historic mission.

Earlier, on April 6, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), had announced that the UAE’s second astronaut currently on the longest Arab space mission on the International Space Station (ISS) will conduct the first-ever spacewalk by an Arab on April 28.

The ‘Sultan of Space’ is set to perform the historic mission outside the ISS along with his crew mate, NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen.

NASA said that the two crew members living aboard the ISS will conduct the spacewalk “to continue installation of hardware to support future power system upgrades” to improve the space station’s power generation capability.

Agency experts will preview the spacewalk during a live news conference at 2pm EDT (10pm GST) on April 24 from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency said in a media advisory.

When, where to watch

“The historic spacewalk is scheduled to begin at about 9.15am (5.45pm UAE time) on Friday, April 28,” NASA revealed.

It is expected to last about 6.5 hours. The agency said it will provide live coverage of the spacewalk beginning at 7.45am (3.45pm GST) on Friday.

Live coverage of the news conference and spacewalk will air on NASA Television, NASA app, and on the agency’s website.

Key moment

Salem Humaid Al Marri, director-general of MBRSC, told Gulf News that Al Neyadi’s spacewalk would be “a key moment” in the UAE’s space exploration history.

“Spacewalks are usually [meant] for the partners who built the ISS. It’s the first time a non-ISS partner does a spacewalk on the ISS. We will be the 10th or 11th country to do that. Sultan will be the first person from this region to do it. He’s been training for a very long time. We believe he’s ready for that.”

Based on merit

Al Marri pointed out that the selection of an astronaut for a spacewalk is entirely based on capabilities and merit and based on the requirements from NASA and its partners.

“That’s not something you buy or that’s not something you get somehow by doing some deals. They only do it if they need to do it. And they only send people who are capable of doing it. So, I’m very proud that Sultan was selected because that shows that he has done very well in his training, and he is a very strong partner as an astronaut, and we are as an entity [at MBRSC] with our partners in the US.”

Al Marri also highlighted that the success of the spacewalk, which is considered an extremely risky operation, depends on the cooperation between the two astronauts.

“So, as they go out as a pair, they need to support each other, they need to help each other in case an emergency occurs.”

Space suits

Al Neyadi’s spacewalk will make the UAE the 10th country in the world to undertake Extravehicular Activity (EVA) in space. EVA is commonly referred to as spacewalk as it is while doing activities outside the ISS that astronauts get the feeling of walking in space. The EVA spacesuit worn for spacewalks outside the ISS is also called the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU.

While it is the maiden spacewalk for the UAE’s rookie astronaut, it will be the eighth spacewalk for Bowen, which becomes US spacewalk 86.

NASA said Bowen will serve as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1) and will wear a suit with red stripes. Al Neyadi will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2) and will wear an unmarked suit.

While it is the maiden spacewalk for the UAE’s rookie astronaut, it will be the eighth spacewalk for Bowen, which becomes US spacewalk 86.

NASA said Bowen will serve as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1) and will wear a suit with red stripes. Al Neyadi will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2) and will wear an unmarked suit.

Quest Airlock

For the spacewalk, Al Neyadi and Bowen will exit the space station’s Quest Airlock to prepare for the future installation of upgraded solar arrays on the starboard side of the station’s truss. NASA said the astronaut duo will also retrieve an S-band antenna equipment, which enables communication with Earth, and bring it inside the space station for refurbishment.

Yesterday, the astronaut duo, currently operating as flight engineers of Expedition 69, worked together to resize a pair of EMUs in the Quest Airlock, NASA said.

The Quest Airlock is a pressurised space station module consisting of two compartments attached end-to-end by a connecting bulkhead and hatch.

The first compartment is the ‘Equipment Lock’ which provides the systems for suit maintenance and refurbishment. The second one is the ‘Crew Lock,’ which provides the actual exit for performing spacewalks. The airlock is the primary path for spacewalk entry and departure for astronauts wearing US spacesuits. Quest can also support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for spacewalks.

iROSAs Solar Arrays

NASA said the spacewalk is part of a series to augment the station’s power channels with new ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs).

Solar arrays are comprised of solar panels, and they work together to produce electricity. Arrays can be customised to fit specific energy needs while panels are standard units.

Standard solar arrays in space can be expensive, heavy, and often very complex to operate. Roll-Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) are an alternative to existing solar array technologies.

According to NASA, these arrays are a compact design, more affordable, and offer autonomous capabilities that can enhance a wide spectrum of scientific and commercial missions, from low-Earth orbit all the way to interplanetary travel.

The latest ISS ROSAS (iROSAS) installed aboard the ISS provide additional power to augment the existing power supply, supporting more cutting-edge scientific research. iROSAs are also powering deep-space exploration and scientific missions and their design has been integrated into commercial satellites.

NASA said four of the new arrays have been installed so far, and two additional arrays will be mounted to the installed platforms during future spacewalks following their arrival this year on SpaceX’s 28th commercial resupply services mission for NASA.