In a major milestone, Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is set to undertake his first spacewalk, scheduled to take place in the coming week. Menon will be tasked with stepping out of the International Space Station to upgrade solar arrays, replace a communications antenna, and fix new data and power cables to support the orbital lab operations.
NASA said, in a statement on Monday, that Menon is set to undertake three spacewalks beginning August 6 along with astronaut Jessica Meir and prepare the orbital lab for the future installation of the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) later in the year, reported news agency PTI. The IROSA will provide additional power to support critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit.
Astronaut Anil Menon's spacewalks
The spacewalks are scheduled to take place on August 6, August 13 and August 25.
During the second spacewalk on August 13, two astronauts will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the orbital complex, the report added.
The antenna is a communication system used by NASA to transmit data and high-speed communication between the Mission Control Centre in Houston and the space station.
Furthermore, during the spacewalk on August 25, the crew members will connect power channel cables and data relay systems as part of maintenance.
{{/usCountry}}Furthermore, during the spacewalk on August 25, the crew members will connect power channel cables and data relay systems as part of maintenance.
{{/usCountry}}The astronauts will also replace a navigational aid used for spacecraft docking on the Harmony module's forward port, NASA stated.
Who is Anil Menon?
Menon, who traces his origins to Palakkad in Kerala, is a NASA astronaut.
He was born in Minneapolis to an Indian father with roots in Kerala and a Ukrainian mother.
According to the NASA website, Menon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Neurobiology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999. He has a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 2004.
He reached the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft on July 14. He is scheduled to spend about eight months in orbit.
Also Read | Who is Anil Menon? All about the Indian-origin NASA astronaut aboard the ISS
Menon shares view of Starbase
Last week, Menon shared a breathtaking view of Starbase, SpaceX's launch site in South Texas, as seen from space, offering a unique perspective of the launch site through photographs captured from orbit.
Also Read | Two NASA astronauts to step outside International Space Station for 7 hours | What we know
"Our view of Starbase from space! Here's to a successful launch. Send it," Menon said.