Capturing the Cosmos: Tune Into NASA's First 2024 Spacewalk

Set for its first spacewalk of 2024, a stunning excursion outside the International Space Station (ISS), NASA is preparing to make history once more. As space exploration pushes the boundaries of human achievements, marvelling at astronauts patiently at work in the seemingly boundless cosmos is the next big thing. While the spacewalk has become an increasingly accepted part of human expedition into space, each event is a unique glimpse into the mysteries of the most final frontier. But how can one witness such an event? This article demystifies the wonders of live spacewalking, showing just how much a camera can take one closer to space.

Embrace the Adventure from Earth

On Thursday, 13 June 2024, at 7:45am, astronauts Tracy C Dyson and Matt Dominick will strap on their suits and enter the void of space. Their mission is twofold: to replace a faulty electronics box – a part of the International Space Station (ISS) that enables it to send and receive information back to Earth; and to harvest microorganisms from the ISS’s exterior. This spacewalk, designed to understand how life survives in space, will be Dyson’s fourth and Dominick’s first.

Join the Mission Live

Slated to start at 6:30am ET, with the spacewalk beginning a couple hours later around 8am ET, viewers around the world can follow along for this estimated six-and-a-half-hour journey, thanks to a constellation of carefully-situated cameras that will provide live streams on NASA+, with mirrored streams provided by NASA Television, the NASA app, NASA’s YouTube channel, and on the agency’s website. You can also watch the action in this embedded player at the top of the page to make sure you don’t miss one minute of this celestial dance.

The Astronauts' Suits: An Identifier

Against the endless black of space, it’s easy to tell the two astronauts apart. One of their spacesuits – Dyson’s – has red stripes. The other – Dominick’s – is unadorned. This is not just because it helps those of us on the ground know who’s who. These stripes have a story to tell.

The Role of CAMERAS in Space Exploration

Cameras, of course, play a crucial role in narrowing the gap between us and the cosmos. During the spacewalk, several cameras will diligently provide our omniscient eye, following the evacuation of Earth as intimately as if sitting face-to-face with the astronauts and their fellow operatives in Mission Control. In addition to the live video feed, there will be also an unbroken audio loop, allowing us to experience a rare moment of intimacy with these heroes of humanity, separated by millions of kilometers of incredibly hostile vacuum.

Why CAMERAS Matter

On a spacewalk, the camera is not just a recorder, it is a way of knowing and being. The camera that shows the movements of the astronauts is also the one that reveals the planet beneath their feet, and our home before their eyes.

Enhancing the Viewer's Experience

Courtesy NASA/JSC Astronaut Cameras.Viewers are not mere lookers-on, they become virtual astronauts As viewers watch the footage, there is a running commentary that tells viewers not only what the astronauts are doing and when, but why: ‘The LEM module lunar module’; ‘You can see the astronauts are working very carefully here’; ‘Bouncing theHistoricalorbit’. Language is added, both verbal and visual, to record the history of human endeavour and ingenuity.

Upcoming Space Endeavors

For future viewing, NASA’s schedule is filled with spacewalks. Back-to-back to the awe of 13 June is another pair of spacewalks for 24 June and 2 July. As for me, I believe I will continue to track the progression of humanity’s deepest spirit of adventure, as we keep pushing forward into the depths of the cosmos.

About CAMERAS: The Unsung Heroes of Space Exploration

Cameras are virtual spaceships. In the creased narratives of interplanetary travel, they’re necessary but not sufficient. We need cameras not only to document, record and broadcast, to make exploration widely available. We need cameras so humans can see it too; cameras allow all of humankind to share in the experience of discovery. In fact, cameras democratise access to the wonders of space, enabling us to observe, dream and aspire from home. The next time a human touches down somewhere new, cameras will be there. That next starship will have cameras onboard. In addition to navigating bodies through space, they’ll help us navigate towards grasping the mysteries of being.

And when NASA prepares to go back outside for their first spacewalk of 2024, remember that cameras shaped our experience of the first astronauts, putting the stars inside our homes and our minds. They lifted eyes to the sky and opened imaginations, inspiring us to look for the future. The spacewalk will go up. Join the crew.