Hannah Grace Tech 03.14.2022 06:Mar AM EDT

2 NASA Astronauts Will Perform a Spacewalk This Week: Here’s How To Watch the Space Event

On Tuesday, two astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will perform a spacewalk to upgrade the space station's power system.

Interested fans can watch this space event for free through NASA's website.

2 NASA Astronauts To Go on a Spacewalk This Week

Digital Trends reported that two NASA astronauts and current occupants of the ISS, Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, will be performing a spacewalk which has been called U.S. EVA 79.

The mentioned astronauts will be working on the ongoing upgrade of the station's power system this Tuesday, March 15.

To be specific, Barron and Chari will be installing brackets and struts aiming to have more solar arrays outside of the space station in the future.

Apart from the spacewalk on Tuesday this week, two more astronauts will also perform a spacewalk next Wednesday, March 23. The second spacewalk aims to place hoses on a module of the station's cooling system and upgrade the other station gears.

Spacewalks: What Are They?

According to NASA, a spacewalk occurs every time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while still in space.

The space agency explained that there is a variety of reasons why astronauts are performing spacewalks. For example, it allows them to work outside their spacecraft while still in space and conduct scientific experiments.

These experiments can be done on an exterior of a spacecraft allowing astronauts to discover how different objects react while in space.

Aside from experiments, NASA explained that spacewalks can also be used to test new equipment. Since there are no technicians in space, astronauts are capable of testing or even repairing satellites or spacecraft in orbit.

Rather than bringing broken items back to Earth to fix them, astronauts perform spacewalks to repair them.

Even though spacesuits keep astronauts safe while they go on spacewalks, there can still be some complications.

For example, astronauts who acquired gas bubbles in their bodies will experience pain in their shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knees. The astronauts can have gas bubbles in their bodies if they don't get rid of the nitrogen before they walk in space.

To counteract this annoyance, Astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours after putting on their suits. All of the nitrogen in an astronaut's body is expelled by breathing just oxygen.

How To Watch Upcoming Spacewalk of ISS Astronauts

Since this space event shows several exciting benefits, there is a simple way to watch it.

Digital Trends reported that the whole spacewalk will be livestreamed through NASA TV, and interested fans can watch it from their own home by visiting NASA's website.

The spacewalk coverage starts at 6:30 a.m. ET (3:30 a.m. PT) on Tuesday, March 15.

The actual spacewalk is scheduled to commence at 8:05 a.m. ET (5:05 a.m. PT) and is expected to last for approximately six and a half hours.

Before the spacewalk, fans could also tune into NASA's news conference to learn more about the spacewalk and the works that the astronauts will be performing. The said conference will be livestreamed on Monday, March 14 at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT).