Expedition 51 astronauts perform 200th spacewalk outside International Space Station!

ISS astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer are venturing outside the space station to replace a large avionics box that supplies electricity and data connections to the science experiments, and replacement hardware stored outside the station.

Photo Credit: NASA

New Delhi: Expedition 51 commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer are performing a landmark 200th spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday.

The two astronauts are conducting the spacewalk to replace a large avionics box that supplies electricity and data connections to the science experiments, and replacement hardware stored outside the space station.

You can watch the live coverage of the spacewalk HERE.

According to the US space agency, Whitson and Fischer will install a connector that will route data to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and help the crew determine the most efficient way to conduct future maintenance on cosmic ray detector.

During the planned 6.5-hour spacewalk, the astronauts will also install a protective shield on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3, which was moved from the Tranquility to the Harmony module in March, as reported.

This adapter will host a new international docking port for the arrival of commercial crew spacecraft. Whitson and Fischer also will rig a new high-definition camera and pair of wireless antennas to the exterior of the outpost.