Two NASA astronauts are on the cusp of suiting up and exiting the International Space Station together.
The upcoming spacewalk is the fourth of 2026, all but one of which have exclusively featured Americans. And for the third all-NASA astronaut spacewalk in a row, Jessica Meir will be one of the two crew members exiting the aging orbital outpost into the vacuum of space.
Meir, who is making her sixth overall spacewalk since her first trip to the ISS between 2019 and 2020, will be joined by newcomer Anil Menon, who has never been to space prior to his arrival in July.
Interested in watching the upcoming spacewalk, expected to last for several hours Thursday, Aug. 6? NASA and its commercial partners like Amazon will provide plenty of ways to ensure
you can keep up with the cosmic action as it unfolds in real time.
Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video
Here's everything to know about the upcoming spacewalk, and how you can watch it live.
What is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station has been stationed in low-Earth orbit for more than 25 years, typically about 260 miles high, where it has been home to astronauts from all over the world. Throughout its lifespan, the station has served as a test bed for scientific research in microgravity and has in years past opened itself up to private commercial missions.
The orbital laboratory is operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
More than 290 spacefarers from 26 countries have visited the International Space Station, including 173 from the United States alone, according to NASA.
What is a spacewalk? How often do astronauts exit ISS?
A spacewalk, often called extra-vehicular activity in space industry parlance, refers to any activity an astronaut undertakes outside of a space station or spacecraft. Spacewalks require suiting up in specialized suits and exposing oneself to the vacuum of outer space.
When is the next spacewalk?
The next spacewalk is set for Thursday, Aug. 6, with two astronauts due to exit the International Space Station about 8:35 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The operation is expected to last less than seven hours.
The spacewalk will be the first of three NASA is planning in the month of August, the space agency said in a press release.
How to watch NASA coverage of spacewalk on YouTube, Netflix, more
NASA's live coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 7 a.m. ET Aug. 6 and will be available to stream on the agency's free NASA+ app, as well Amazon Prime and YouTube. Netflix, which provided coverage of the previous spacewalk, will not host a livestream this time on its platform.
Livestream: Watch NASA spacewalk live
Spacewalk is 3rd for Americans of 2026. What astronauts are going?
The upcoming spacewalk will be the fourth of 2026 and the third this year featuring U.S. astronauts. The most recent spacewalk occurred June 30 when NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams exited the space station.
Meir is due to take part once again in the Aug. 6 spacewalk – her sixth journey into the vacuum of space overall. She'll be joined by NASA astronaut Anil Menon, who is on his first mission to space and, naturally, has never conducted a spacewalk before.
Meir will be wearing a suit with red stripes, while Menon's suit will be unmarked, according to NASA.
Known as U.S. spacewalk 96, the venture will be the 96th of its kind with NASA astronauts and the 281st in the International Space Station's history. Meir and Menon's task will be to "modify the station’s 3B power channel" ahead of plans to install a new solar array later in 2026, NASA said.
What astronauts are on the International Space Station?
Seven astronauts who are part of Expedition 75 are living and working aboard the International Space Station.
That includes four people who are part of the Crew-12 mission that docked in mid-February: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, as well as the European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The Crew-12 contingent are due to depart in September following the arrival of Crew-13.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon arrived in mid-July at the space station with Russians Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina on a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft for an eight-month mission.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch live as 2 NASA astronauts conduct next spacewalk outside ISS
