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The Wildest Way to Change the Batteries? Watch These Astronauts

Changing batteries doesn't sound very cool... That is, unless you're orbiting 249 miles above Earth at the International Space Station.
Image: Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (center) assists spacewalkers Peggy Whitson (left) and Shane Kimbrough in the U.S. Quest airlock on Jan. 6, 2017.
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (center) assists spacewalkers Peggy Whitson (left) and Shane Kimbrough in the U.S. Quest airlock on Jan. 6, 2017.NASA

Changing batteries doesn't sound very cool — that is, unless you're orbiting 249 miles above Earth at the International Space Station.

American astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency are embarking on a space walk Friday to finish the upgrade to the power systems on board the International Space Station.

The duo will suit up and begin their space walk at 7 a.m. EST, according to NASA. Space walks typically last a few hours, and during that time, the pair will finish the job of connecting new lithium-ion batteries and installing adapter plates.

Related: Blasting Into 2017: What's in the Stars For Space Travel

It will be Pesquet's first-ever space walk, so he'll be in for a one-of-a-kind experience when he steps outside the orbiting laboratory and into the darkness of space.

Image: Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (center) assists spacewalkers Peggy Whitson (left) and Shane Kimbrough in the U.S. Quest airlock on Jan. 6, 2017.
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (center) assists spacewalkers Peggy Whitson (left) and Shane Kimbrough in the U.S. Quest airlock on Jan. 6, 2017.NASA