NASA astronauts conduct first ISS spacewalk of 2026: Watch live

NASA is conducting its first spacewalk outside the International Space Station of the year. This planned spacewalk will have two NASA astronauts conducting installations and repairs to the ISS. 

What we know:

NASA astronauts will conduct spacewalk 94 on Thursday at 8 a.m. 

Where to watch the spacewalks? 

FOX 35 plans to cover parts of the six-hour-long space walk. 

NASA will stream the spacewalk on its YouTube channel, on NASA+ and on Amazon Prime. The stream will begin about an hour before the mission starts. 

Two astronauts will exit the station’s airlock to prepare the 2A power channel for future installation of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, NASA said on its website. 

The mission is expected to start at 8 a.m. EST and will last for six hours and 30 minutes. 

Who is going on the spacewalk? 

NASA astronauts with Expedition 74, Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, will conduct spacewalk 94. 

Expedition 74 is a seven-person crew that began in December 2025 and will end in the summer of 2026. 

Fincke, the expedition commander, and Cardman, a flight engineer, will work to install a solar array to provide more power to the orbital laboratory, including critical support of its safe and controlled de-orbit, NASA said. 

NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 Commander Mike Fincke works inside the Tranquility module replacing orbital plumbing components on the waste and hygiene compartment, the International Space Station’s restroom. (Source: NASA)

This will be Cardman’s first space walk and Fincke’s 10th – tying him as the NASA astronaut with the most spacewalks.

Fincke will be wearing a red suit with stripes and Cardman will be wearing an unmarked suit. 

NASA has not announced which astronauts will conduct spacewalk 95. The astronauts will be announced after the Jan. 8 spacewalk, the agency said. 

What is the International Space Station? 

The International Space Station, ISS, is a low orbit home and research facility for astronauts. The ISS, which was launched 25 years ago, brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, scientific research and more, NASA said. 

In its 25 years, astronauts have conducted over 250 space walks, including five spacewalks in 2025. Here’s a list of NASA’s previous International Space Station spacewalks.

The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

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