For the first time since Luca Parmitano nearly drowned in space more than a year, a
pre-planned EVA on the US side of the ISS is about to happen later today. Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst are heading out at around 12:10 UTC to re-locate a failed pump module of the station's thermal regulation system (which was replaced in 2 contingency EVAs last Christmas) from the truss temporary stowage position to External Stowage Platform 2 (starboard side of Destiny), as well as installing a back-up power relay assembly on the Mobile Transporter and replace a light on the SSRMS. Barry Wilmore will control the SSRMS for assistance on this 6.5 hours EVA.
Tasks for First Spacewalk of Expedition 41
This is the 1st of 3 EVAs on the ISS this month!
On October 15 Wiseman and Wilmore will head out to replace a critical power Sequential Shunt Unit (essentially one of eight main electrical box voltage regulators on the ISS) that failed in May, as well as relocating external cameras and a video system trans-receiver that will be used for future commercial crew vehicles. On the Russian side of the ISS, Alexander Samokutyaev and Max Suraev will head out on October 22 to jettison obsolete hardware and photograph the exterior of the station’s Russian segment.
