Spacewalk Preparations on the ISS Ahead of Aug. 18

NASA flight engineers Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency are preparing for a spacewalk scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18, when they are expected to spend about six-and-a-half hours outside the International Space Station. Their task is to replace a failed high-speed data and communications antenna.

The Expedition 75 crew spent Wednesday reviewing the procedure with NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway, who will assist the spacewalkers and operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm during the excursion. NASA commander Jessica Meir will also support the pair in and out of their spacesuits and has been handling spacesuit maintenance, including replacing a safety filter in the suit's breathing and cooling systems.

Separately, the crew practiced emergency procedures with mission controllers on Earth, using tablets to review responses to scenarios such as a pressure leak, a chemical leak or a fire. Roscosmos flight engineers also carried out routine station tasks, including window inspections, oxygen generator maintenance and an automated Earth-observation photography session over Asia-Pacific landmarks.

What the Antenna Replacement and Crew Drills Involve

The repair on the Z1 truss

Menon and Adenot will remove the failed space-to-ground antenna, stow it on an external platform, and install a spare on the station's Z1 truss segment. The six-and-a-half-hour timeline reflects both the complexity of the external work and the need to coordinate with robotic arm operations.

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Division of crew roles

Hathaway and Meir will assist from inside, with Hathaway operating Canadarm2. Meir's spacesuit work is directly tied to the spacewalk: she swapped a filter that prevents unwanted gas and moisture from entering the suit systems, and packed suits for temporary stowage in the Quest airlock.

Emergency drills and station routine

The emergency training is a standard crew exercise but is relevant here because the same crew is about to perform a high-risk external operation. Practicing pressure leak, chemical leak and fire responses helps maintain readiness while the station continues ordinary maintenance and science.

How to Follow the Spacewalk

NASA will provide mission coverage through its space station blog, @space_station on X, and the ISS Facebook and Instagram accounts. Those channels are the most direct way to follow the Aug. 18 spacewalk schedule and any changes.