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Astronaut Anil Menon set for his first spacewalk
Deccan Chronicle··29 Jul
Astronaut Anil Menon is scheduled to undertake his first spacewalk on August 6, stepping outside the International Space Station to upgrade solar arrays and prepare equipment. He will conduct two further spacewalks on August 13 and August 25 alongside fellow astronaut Jessica Meir, replacing a communications antenna and installing new data and power cables for the orbital lab.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Anyone with roots in Kerala can follow a hometown connection reaching the International Space Station through Menon's father's origins in Palakkad.
- Students interested in space careers get a current example of the training and teamwork required before an astronaut's first spacewalk.
- The mission shows how international crews coordinate complex repair work, offering context for future Indian human spaceflight ambitions.
What's Happening
- Astronaut Anil Menon will undertake three spacewalks on August 6, 13 and 25 alongside fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.
- The spacewalks will upgrade solar arrays, replace a Space to Ground communications antenna and install new data and power cables.
- Menon reached the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on July 14 for an eight month mission.
A Space Station Preparing To Retire
- The upgraded solar arrays, called IROSA, are meant to support the station's operations, including its eventual safe and controlled deorbit.
- During the August 25 spacewalk, crew members will also replace a navigational aid used for spacecraft docking on the Harmony module.
- Menon was born in Minneapolis to an Indian father with roots in Kerala and a Ukrainian mother.
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