Spacewalkers Attach Sun-Tracking Telescope to Space Station
Two courageous space explorers from Russia spent over six hours on a spacewalk, installing and removing various scientific experiments on the International Space Station.
The pair, comprised of the Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer, spent their time outside the space station from early morning to late afternoon. They successfully installed a solar radiation experiment on the exterior of a service module and also removed scientific equipment from two other modules on the Russian segment of the station.
Advancing Solar Research
The telescope they affixed to the exterior of the service module, known as Solntse-Teragerts, is designed to observe and capture data about intense solar flares that shoot out from the sun. This instrument will greatly assist scientists in refining their prediction models and gaining a deeper understanding of solar flare activity at various frequencies. The device is expected to remain operational until 2028.
Afterwards, the spacewalkers used one end of a 40-foot-long robotic arm to retrieve a container holding a semiconducting material. This material was the product of an experiment mounted on a mini-research module. The experiment employs gallium arsenide to create ultra-pure, ultra-thin films that can only be produced in the microgravity environment of outer space.
Overcoming Challenges
Securing the cassette wasn't without its challenges, including the loss of a pair of pliers and difficulty moving the experiment's interior mechanisms with ground commands. Nevertheless, after a bit of troubleshooting, the spacewalkers managed to secure the sample for return to the interior of the space station.
In between their tasks, the pair took time to honor the 80th anniversary of RKK (RSC) Energia, a design bureau of Roscosmos, which was established in August 1946. They held up a card with a special logo and posed for pictures.
Personal Touch
Interestingly, during their work, the commander asked the flight engineer if he knew the date. When the engineer responded with "The 27th", the commander wished all residents of St. Petersburg a happy city day, referring to the northern capital of Russia.
Inspecting and Wrapping Up
Afterwards, they moved on to another module to inspect, take photos, and secure a rendezvous antenna on a cargo spacecraft. This antenna had failed to deploy during its launch to the space station, resulting in a manually controlled docking.
As their spacewalk was coming to an end, they collected a science container filled with samples of bacteria, seeds, and other organisms. They also dispensed used window cleaners before heading back into the space station. They successfully completed all the planned activities for the outing.
For the commander, this was the second spacewalk, and for the flight engineer, it was a premiere. The commander has now accumulated a total of 12 hours and 11 minutes working in the vacuum of space.
Two courageous space explorers from Russia spent over six hours on a spacewalk, installing and removing various scientific experiments on the International Space Station.
The pair, comprised of the Expedition 74 commander and flight engineer, spent their time outside the space station from early morning to late afternoon. They successfully installed a solar radiation experiment on the exterior of a service module and also removed scientific equipment from two other modules on the Russian segment of the station.
Advancing Solar Research
The telescope they affixed to the exterior of the service module, known as Solntse-Teragerts, is designed to observe and capture data about intense solar flares that shoot out from the sun. This instrument will greatly assist scientists in refining their prediction models and gaining a deeper understanding of solar flare activity at various frequencies. The device is expected to remain operational until 2028.
Afterwards, the spacewalkers used one end of a 40-foot-long robotic arm to retrieve a container holding a semiconducting material. This material was the product of an experiment mounted on a mini-research module. The experiment employs gallium arsenide to create ultra-pure, ultra-thin films that can only be produced in the microgravity environment of outer space.
Overcoming Challenges
Securing the cassette wasn't without its challenges, including the loss of a pair of pliers and difficulty moving the experiment's interior mechanisms with ground commands. Nevertheless, after a bit of troubleshooting, the spacewalkers managed to secure the sample for return to the interior of the space station.
In between their tasks, the pair took time to honor the 80th anniversary of RKK (RSC) Energia, a design bureau of Roscosmos, which was established in August 1946. They held up a card with a special logo and posed for pictures.
Personal Touch
Interestingly, during their work, the commander asked the flight engineer if he knew the date. When the engineer responded with "The 27th", the commander wished all residents of St. Petersburg a happy city day, referring to the northern capital of Russia.
Inspecting and Wrapping Up
Afterwards, they moved on to another module to inspect, take photos, and secure a rendezvous antenna on a cargo spacecraft. This antenna had failed to deploy during its launch to the space station, resulting in a manually controlled docking.
As their spacewalk was coming to an end, they collected a science container filled with samples of bacteria, seeds, and other organisms. They also dispensed used window cleaners before heading back into the space station. They successfully completed all the planned activities for the outing.
For the commander, this was the second spacewalk, and for the flight engineer, it was a premiere. The commander has now accumulated a total of 12 hours and 11 minutes working in the vacuum of space.