Get ready for an exhilarating experience as two brave NASA astronauts take on the challenge of repairing the NICER X-ray telescope during a spacewalk today, January 16! Mark your calendars for a live broadcast of this monumental event starting at 6:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT), with the astronauts expected to step outside the International Space Station (ISS) around 8:00 a.m. EST (1300 GMT).

Astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams, both seasoned spacewalk veterans, have an action-packed agenda! They will be addressing critical light leaks in the NICER telescope, a crucial tool for studying astrophysical phenomena such as black holes and neutron stars. These leaks, which were first detected in May 2023, have allowed sunlight to interfere with the telescope's operations, and today's mission aims to install special patches to eliminate this issue.

But that's not all! The duo will also prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) for future upgrades. This impressive $2 billion particle detector has been scouring the cosmos for signs of dark matter since its launch in 2011, analyzing high-energy cosmic rays. Their work will not only aid in the telescope's functionality but also ensure that navigation systems aboard the ISS remain flawlessly operational.

This spacewalk is particularly historic, as it represents the first on-orbit repair of a NASA space telescope since the last servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. In an era where advancements in astrophysics depend heavily on precision instruments, this repair is a significant step forward for space exploration.

Nick Hague has been aboard the ISS since late September on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission and is serving as a flight engineer. Meanwhile, Suni Williams, the commander of the current expedition, made her arrival in early June with a short-lived mission on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. After several unexpected delays, the Starliner will return uncrewed in September, while Williams and her fellow crew members—including her recent crewmate Alexandr Gorbunov from Roscosmos—are slated to head back to Earth next month.

With Hague donning a spacesuit marked with red stripes and Williams in a plain suit, be sure to catch this rare glimpse of human ingenuity and bravery in the vastness of space. Tune in for the live coverage and witness an event that not only improves our understanding of the universe but also showcases the remarkable skills of our astronauts. Don't miss it—this is a spacewalk you'll want to see!