Timeline overview of the spacewalk. Credits: NASA

Timeline overview of the spacewalk. Credits: NASA

ESA astronaut Tim Peake was launched into space only a month ago but he is already set for his first spacewalk on Friday, 15 January. Together with NASA astronaut Tim Kropa they will exit the International Space Station at 12:55 GMT (13:55 CET) to replace a failed power regulator, install a valve and attach cables to the outside of the Station.

The Tims practised this spacewalk for months on Earth at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, USA, and have spent the last few weeks in space working intensively to prepare their suits and tools for the sortie.

Their first task is to replace to the power system’s Sequential Shunt Unit on the far starboard-side of the Space support truss.

Replacing the voltage regulator requires careful coordination ­– they will be working against the clock. The risk of high-voltage sparks means the job must be completed as the Station flies through Earth’s shadow, giving them around 30 minutes to swap the failed unit for a spare.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman made a similar spacewalk in 2014 and will guide them from mission control in Houston, USA.

More detailed information about the spacewalk can be found in this blog post. Watch live via NASA TV by hitting play below from 11:30 GMT (12:30 CET) and follow @esaoperations on Twitter for updates. Red stripes on the NASA astronaut’s suit will help viewers to see which Tim is which during the spacewalk.