The spacewalk is part of the upgrades for the Space Station’s solar panels, installing a new generation of roll-out panels in front of the current set that are reaching the end of their useful life.

The spacewalk begins at 14:30 CEST (12:30 GMT) when the duo are set to leave the Quest airlock. This sortie will see Thomas and Aki prepare the P4 truss for the new solar arrays that will arrive on a cargo supply mission in 2022.

Thomas is an experienced spacewalker conducting three spacewalks on this mission to install the first two new roll-up arrays, and two spacewalks during his first mission Proxima in 2017. Akihiko has also conducted three spacewalks in 2012 from the International Space Station. He is currently the Space Station commander, a role that he will pass on to Thomas later this year.