Two NASA astronauts will perform a long-delayed spacewalk today, March 18, with live coverage beginning before the excursion. Jessica Meir and Chris Williams are scheduled to exit the International Space Station at about 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) for a spacewalk expected to last roughly 6½ hours; live coverage is set to start at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) on Space.com and via NASA’s live stream on YouTube.
Meir and Williams will work outside the station to prepare one of its power channels for the future installation of an iROSA — an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array that will augment the outpost’s power generation. The outing will be Meir’s fourth spacewalk and Williams’ first.
This EVA had been scheduled earlier in the year. NASA originally planned the activity for Jan. 8 with astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman assigned to suit up, but that plan was canceled after a member of SpaceX’s Crew-11 experienced a medical issue. Crew-11 subsequently returned to Earth on Jan. 15, about a month ahead of plan, in what officials described as the first medical evacuation in the station’s history.
Fincke later disclosed that he was the astronaut affected, and both he and NASA have said he is doing fine; officials have not released further medical details. The Crew-11 incident also forced postponement of a second spacewalk that had been set for Jan. 15.
NASA says a follow-up EVA with similar objectives will take place in the near future; the agency will announce the crew assignments and target date after today’s extravehicular activity is complete. Together, these two outings will be the first ISS EVAs of 2026 and the first for the current Expedition 74 crew, marking the 278th and 279th spacewalks in the station’s operational history.
For viewers who want to watch, tune in to Space.com or NASA’s official live stream; coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT), with the spacewalk expected to start around 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).
Original Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/watch-live-today-nasa-astronauts-conducting-spacewalk-delayed-by-iss-medical-evacuation
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Publish Date: 2026-03-18 09:36:00
