Astronauts Begin Spacewalk for Solar Array Modifications Astronaut Soichi Noguchi is pictured during a spacewalk that took place over 15 years ago during the STS-114 space shuttle mission to the space station on August 1, 2005. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi have begun their spacewalk outside the International Space Station to complete the installation of modification kits in preparation for upcoming solar array upgrades. The spacewalkers switched their spacesuits to battery power at 6:37 a.m. EST to begin the spacewalk, which is expected to last about six and a half hours. Watch the spacewalk on NASA TV, the NASA app, and on the agency’s website.