Astronauts have opened the hatch of the NG-23 Cygnus capsule S.S. William “Willie” McCool and begun to unload cargo from it. Hēki will be stowed on the ISS until installation.
The next planned activities for Hēki are planned to start no earlier than 26 September (timeline will be updated as we learn more):
- Unpacking Hēki from its shipping container and installation in the NanoRacks External Platform (NREP) structure.
- 26-27 Sept, timing to be confirmed
- Installation of NREP (with Hēki) on a dedicated port external to the ISS by the Japanese Experiment Module robotic arm.
- Power on and check out Hēki to prepare for operations
Image: astronauts opening NG-23 cargo vehicle wear protective equipment to protect themselves from floating debris. Credit: NASA/Jonny Kim
Image: astronauts start to unpack NG-23 cargo vehicle. Credit: NASA
More details on the activity are available at the ISS blog, here.
For context, images of astronauts unloading a previous Cygnus vehicle in 2015 – the “Deke Slayton II”- are included below.
Image: Astronauts opening Cygnus “Deke Slayton II” hatch in 2015. Credit: NASA
Image: Astronauts begin unloading cargo from Cygnus “Deke Slayton II” in 2015. Credit: NASA
Header image: NG-23 approaches ISS. Credit: NASA
Paihau—Robinson Space Blog 
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