[LIVE] The Launch Pad: U.S. 96 SpaceWalk
Watch as NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon will exit the Quest airlock from the ISS to conduct a spacewalk starting at 8:00 am EDT on Thursday, August 6th.
Meir and Menon will work in the vacuum of space for about 6 hours and 30 minutes and will install hardware that will modify the station's 3B power channel and prepare it for the future installation of the final IROSA Array.
Join their community Discord! https://discord.com/invite/xCm9UpDPE4
About Jessica Meir
Jessica Meir, a NASA astronaut, marine biologist, and physiologist from Caribou, Maine, assumed command of the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
She took over leadership from Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov during a change of command ceremony.
Meir had previously served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 61 and 62, and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
She was selected by NASA in 2013 and was also included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Her scientific background includes research on animal physiology in extreme environments.
Meir is scheduled to conduct her 6th spacewalk on August 6, 2026, alongside flight engineer Anil Menon.
This spacewalk, U.S. Spacewalk 96, will involve installing new hardware on the station's Starboard six truss to modify the 3B power channel and prepare for the installation of a new Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) later in the year.
The mission is expected to last approximately 6.5 to 7 hours and is part of a series of 3 spacewalks planned for August to upgrade solar arrays, replace a communications antenna, and connect power and data cables, all aimed at maintaining the 25-year-old orbital laboratory through its final years before a planned deorbit by the end of 2030.
About Anil Menon
Anil Menon is a NASA astronaut, a colonel in the U.S. Space Force, and an emergency medicine physician.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he is of Indian and Ukrainian immigrant heritage.
Menon attended Harvard University for his undergraduate degree in Neurobiology, then earned an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.D. He further completed residencies in Emergency Medicine and Aerospace Medicine and obtained an M.P.H. from the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Menon served as a flight surgeon for NASA and was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, establishing medical protocols for commercial space flights.
On July 14, 2026, Anil Menon launched on an 8-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, alongside cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina.
During his mission as a flight engineer for Expeditions 74 and 75, Menon is conducting experiments to study the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight, including how microgravity impacts blood flow, vein structure, and blood composition in astronauts.
He is also involved in testing technology to produce intravenous fluids using the station's potable water system, and capturing images of Earth from orbit, such as a large Pacific typhoon on August 2, 2026.
Menon is scheduled to perform his 1st spacewalk on August 6, 2026, alongside station commander Jessica Meir.
This 7-hour mission, also referred to as U.S. Spacewalk 96, will involve installing new hardware on the station's Starboard 6 truss to prepare for the future installation of a Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA), which will boost the station's power supply.
This spacewalk is part of a series of 3 planned extravehicular activities in August, with others scheduled for August 13 and August 25, focusing on power generation, communications, and electrical wiring upgrades to support the ISS's operations.