Rare Joint Spacewalk By Russian And European Astronauts

Rare Joint Spacewalk By Russian And European Astronauts

Updated on July 21, 2022 18:12 PM by Ava Sara

Astronauts Rare Spacewalk

Two European and Russian astronauts will put on puffy white spacesuits and exit the International Space Station for a spacewalk, marking the first time a joint endeavor has occurred.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev are scheduled to exit the ISS. I spent more than seven hours working to install a new robotic arm on one of the space station's modules.

1999 Russian Made Orlan Spacesuits

Spacewalks are a systematic effort on the ISS; however, they typically involve two Americans, an American and a European, and Russians working together. A European astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut returned to the ISS wearing Russian-made Orlan spacesuits in April 1999.

The spacewalk will be Cristoforetti's initial and Artemyev's sixth. Their joint walks come as tensions on Earth between Russia and the United States and its allies have hit a fever pitch amid the Ukrainian war. However, NASA has repeatedly said the conflict had not affected cooperation in space.

ISS Astronaut's Third Spacewalk

This will happen during the third spacewalk that ISS astronauts have to install the European Robotic Arm, which will be able to move objects in and out of the space station for maintenance and even inspect the space station's exterior using built-in cameras.

The arm, which will be the third robotic limb attached to the ISS and the only capable of reaching the Russian-controlled portion of the space station, is being affixed to the outside of the new Russian space station module, called Nauka.

Radio Electronics Data By Nanosatellites

Also, on Thursday, Artemyev and Cristoforetti will deploy "ten nanosatellites designed to collect radio electronics data,” and they will install "a telescopic boom," a sort of crane-like structure that will assist with future spacewalks.

The spacewalk will be the sixth carried out at the ISS in 2022 and the 251st overall. Astronauts leave the station to maintain its exterior, install new hardware or conduct science experiments.

ESA will live stream the spacewalk on ESA Web TV on Thursday. Viewers can spot Cristoforetti by the blue stripes on her spacesuit, while Artemyev will wear red lines.

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