NASA’s McClain, Ayers Wrap Up All-Female Spacewalk to Power Up ISS

On May 1, 2025, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers completed a nearly six-hour all-female spacewalk, moving an antenna and assembling hardware for new solar arrays. They hit most goals, with some tasks delayed for a future EVA.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 3 May 2025 18:17 IST

NASA’s McClain, Ayers Wrap Up All-Female Spacewalk to Power Up ISS

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducted the first all-female EVA IN 2019

Highlights

Fifth all-female spacewalk by NASA astronauts
Assembled IROSA support hardware, moved Cygnus antenna
Set groundwork for 30% ISS power boost

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers completed the fifth all-female spacewalk, moving an antenna and partially preparing the International Space Station for a new set of solar arrays on May 1st. Their 5-hour, 44-minute extravehicular activity was completed after re-entering the Quest airlock, and it started to get re-pressurised. McClain and Ayers completed the majority of their goals. However, they had to postpone some of the chores until a later spacewalk since they were behind schedule and had limited supplies.

About the mission

According to NASA, Expedition 73 crewmates Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers began working at 9:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT) by carrying tools and equipment out to the port (or left) side of the space station's backbone truss. They began assembling the attachment hardware for the seventh pair of International Space Station Rollout Solar Arrays, or IROSA. These will be installed once they arrive on a SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply services mission later this year.

Installing smaller, more efficient solar arrays will increase electricity generation by up to 30%, increasing the station's total power from 160 to 215 kilowatts. The spacewalkers constructed and installed the right struts and the upper triangle of the mast canister modification kit before being told to tidy up their workstations and proceed to the next, more important assignment.

NASA Will Send Supplies to the ISS Aboard a SpaceX Craft on This Date

Continuing the Legacy of Female Spacewalkers

It was Ayers's first spacewalk and McClain's third. McClain has spent 18 hours and 52 minutes away from the space station. Rotating astronaut crews have continuously staffed the ISS since November 2000. This was the 93rd EVA from the U.S. Quest airlock and the 275th overall to assist the ISS's installation, maintenance, and upgrading.

In October 2019, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducted the first all-female EVA. In January 2020, the pair performed two further spacewalks together. In November 2023, NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara completed a walk alone.

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