Space
Watch Two Russian Cosmonauts Conduct Spacewalk at Space Station
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jun 24, 2013 12:37 PM EDT
Two Russian cosmonauts are currently floating in space outside the International Space Station, performing critical system upgrades on the orbiting lab's exterior as well as conducting a few tests. Now, you can watch the spacewalk on NASA TV as the cosmonauts continue to work.
The spacewalk actually began at 9:32 a.m. EDT when Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin ventured outside the ISS to begin the six-hour spacewalk. The space station itself is currently located about 250 miles above the south Pacific Ocean, according to Spaceflight Now.
The two cosmonauts are meant to test automatic docking cables in anticipation of a new Russian module that's expected to arrive at the station later this year. They will also install clamps that will hold cables from the U.S. side that will power the new module on the Russian side of the laboratory, according to Space.com. In addition, the cosmonauts will install handholds in order to help with future spacewalks, retrieve experiments from outside the station and replace a fluid flow control valve on the Zarya module.
You can easily tell the astronauts apart--though not by their faces. Yurchikhin is wearing an Orlan-MK spacesuit with red stripes while Misurkin is wearing a suit with blue stripes. Both are equipped with cameras that will provide close-up views of their work as they continue to progress.
The two cosmonauts aren't alone, either. The other four Expedition 36 crew members will provide support from inside the ISS. In addition, they'll continue to work on a variety of science and maintenance activities.
Although two NASA astronauts performed an emergency spacewalk not too long ago in order to fix an ammonia leak in May, this is the first planned one since then. This particular event will be the 169th walk in support of station care and construction, according to NASA.
You can watch the spacewalk live now on NASA TV here.
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
More on SCIENCEwr
First Posted: Jun 24, 2013 12:37 PM EDT
Two Russian cosmonauts are currently floating in space outside the International Space Station, performing critical system upgrades on the orbiting lab's exterior as well as conducting a few tests. Now, you can watch the spacewalk on NASA TV as the cosmonauts continue to work.
The spacewalk actually began at 9:32 a.m. EDT when Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin ventured outside the ISS to begin the six-hour spacewalk. The space station itself is currently located about 250 miles above the south Pacific Ocean, according to Spaceflight Now.
The two cosmonauts are meant to test automatic docking cables in anticipation of a new Russian module that's expected to arrive at the station later this year. They will also install clamps that will hold cables from the U.S. side that will power the new module on the Russian side of the laboratory, according to Space.com. In addition, the cosmonauts will install handholds in order to help with future spacewalks, retrieve experiments from outside the station and replace a fluid flow control valve on the Zarya module.
You can easily tell the astronauts apart--though not by their faces. Yurchikhin is wearing an Orlan-MK spacesuit with red stripes while Misurkin is wearing a suit with blue stripes. Both are equipped with cameras that will provide close-up views of their work as they continue to progress.
The two cosmonauts aren't alone, either. The other four Expedition 36 crew members will provide support from inside the ISS. In addition, they'll continue to work on a variety of science and maintenance activities.
Although two NASA astronauts performed an emergency spacewalk not too long ago in order to fix an ammonia leak in May, this is the first planned one since then. This particular event will be the 169th walk in support of station care and construction, according to NASA.
You can watch the spacewalk live now on NASA TV here.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone