posted 04-18-2022 08:02 AM               

ISS Expedition 67: Russian Spacewalk 52

Two Russian cosmonauts will work outside the International Space Station on Monday (April 18), conducting the first spacewalk in a series dedicated to activating a new robotic arm.

Expedition 67 flight engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev of Roscosmos will begin the planned seven-hour spacewalk at 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 GMT) by exiting the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the station's Russian segment.

During the spacewalk, the cosmonauts will install and connect a control panel for the European robotic arm, a 37-foot-long manipulator system mounted to the recently arrived Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Artemyev and Matveev will also remove protective covers from the arm and install handrails on Nauka.

The arm will be used to move spacewalkers and payloads around the Russian segment of the station.

Artemyev will wear a Russian Orlan spacesuit with red stripes. Matveev will wear a spacesuit with blue stripes. This will be the fourth spacewalk in Artemyev’s career, and the first for Matveev. It will be the fourth spacewalk at the station in 2022 and the 249th for International Space Station assembly, maintenance and upgrades.

posted 04-18-2022 04:49 PM               

Cosmonauts complete spacewalk to begin robotic arm configuration

Expedition 67 flight engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev exited the station's Poisk module on the space-facing side of the station's Russian segment at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), beginning the 6 hour, 37 minute extravehicular activity (EVA). The two spacewalkers then made their way to the side fo the Nauka multi-purpose laboratory module, where the new arm has been mounted since its launch with the module in July 2021.

The first task for Artemyev and Matveev was to connect a control panel for the robotic arm on the exterior of the Nauka module. A subsequent diagnostics test confirmed that the EVA Man Machine Interface (EMMI) was receiving power and was in good order.

The two spacewalkers then worked on removing protective covers from payload interfaces and base points, which the arm will use to affix itself to the outside of the space station in the future. Artemyev and Matveev also removed a cover from the elbow of the ERA and installed three handrails to ease future work on and around the arm.

The cosmonauts completed their tasks by installing a portable workstation adapter near the arm, which will be used to house payloads before they are moved by the arm to various points outside of the station. Artemyev and Matveev reentered the Poisk module at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT), bringing their spacewalk to an end.