NASA Sets Preview Briefing, TV Schedule for Space Station Spacewalk

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NASA Sets Preview Briefing, TV Schedule for Space Station Spacewalk

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two NASA

astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a

spacewalk in the coming week to replace a failed backup computer relay

system on the space station's truss. The activity, designated U.S. EVA

26, will be broadcast live on NASA Television and previewed in a

briefing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 9:30 a.m. EDT

Friday, April 18.

The briefing participants are:

-- Mike Suffredini, International Space Station program manager

-- Brian Smith, International Space Station flight director

-- Glenda Brown, lead spacewalk officer

NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson are scheduled to

venture outside the space station Wednesday, April 23, to replace a

backup multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) that failed during routine

testing April 11. The box is one of the station's two external MDMs

that provide commands to some of the space station's systems,

including the external cooling system, solar alpha rotary joints and

mobile transporter rail car.

NASA TV coverage of the April 23 spacewalk will begin at 8:30 a.m. The

spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 9:20 a.m.

If Friday's SpaceX cargo launch to the station is postponed, the two

Expedition 39 astronauts will conduct the spacewalk Sunday, April 20.

NASA TV coverage would begin at 8 a.m. with the spacewalk scheduled to

begin at 8:55 a.m.

Reporters may attend the spacewalk preview briefing in-person at

Johnson or at other participating NASA centers. Media representatives

who wish to ask questions by phone must call the Johnson newsroom at

281-483-5111 no later than 9:15 a.m.

The spacewalk will be the 179th in support of space station assembly

and maintenance, the ninth in Mastracchio's career and the fifth for

Swanson. Mastracchio will carry the designation of EV 1, wearing the

spacesuit bearing red stripes. Swanson will be EV 2, wearing the

spacesuit without stripes.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,

visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For b-roll and other media resources, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews

For more information on the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO

SOURCE NASA

-0- 04/17/2014

/CONTACT: Rachel Kraft, Headquarters, Washington, 202-358-5227, rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov; or Dan Huot, Johnson Space Center, Houston, 281-483-5111, daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov

/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO

PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com

/Web Site: http://www.nasa.gov

CO: NASA

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