Russian Cosmonauts to Perform Spacewalk to Install Radiotelescope on ISS

Lead

Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev are scheduled to perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on May 27, according to Russia's TASS news agency. The primary objective is to install a radiotelescope on the surface of the Zvezda module, part of the Solntse-Teraherz experiment, and to retrieve experimental results.

Coverage Comparison

TASS, the sole outlet covering this event in the available reporting, has published two articles detailing different aspects of the upcoming extravehicular activity. One report, dated May 27, provides the operational specifics of the spacewalk, including timing and objectives. The other, dated May 25, focuses on the preparatory phase and the technical characteristics of the Orlan-MKS spacesuits that the cosmonauts will wear. Both reports emphasize the routine but complex nature of the upcoming task, with the earlier piece offering a cosmonaut's firsthand description of the equipment.

Key Claims

According to TASS, the spacewalk is set to begin with hatches opening at 5:15 p.m. Moscow time (2:15 p.m. GMT) on May 27, with an expected duration of five hours and 27 minutes. The agency identifies the installation of a radiotelescope on the Zvezda module as the main goal, conducted under the Solntse-Teraherz experiment. This will mark Kud-Sverchkov's second spacewalk and Mikaev's first. Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev will assist from inside the ISS, operating the ERA robotic arm control panel.

Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev will wear Orlan-MKS No. 7 and No. 6 spacesuits, respectively. In the earlier report, Kud-Sverchkov, who also serves as a TASS special correspondent on the ISS, described the Orlan suit as "essentially a real single-seat spacecraft," contrasting it with the Sokol emergency rescue suits, which he said feel more like regular clothing. The report details that cosmonauts enter the suit through an open backpack, which contains systems for oxygen supply, cooling, air purification, power supply, and radio communications. The suit weighs approximately 120 kg and lacks autonomous propulsion, requiring arm strength for movement.

To manage body heat, cosmonauts wear special underwear with a water cooling system connected to the backpack. The suit's systems are operated via a computer with a small screen and keys for oxygen supply, pressure regulation, and heat exchange. Safety is ensured by three safety tether springhooks, and the suit is equipped with video recording, lights, and a light filter for protection against the sun. Mirrors aid in monitoring controls, as the wearer cannot see their own body.

Kud-Sverchkov remarked, "It is in these single-person spacecraft, in our Orlan spacesuits, that we will soon exit through the exit hatches to work on the station," as quoted by TASS.