Russian Spacewalk

Russian Spacewalk to Retrieve Soyuz Pyro Bolt
07.08.08

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will inspect and retrieve an explosive bolt from their Soyuz TMA-12 during a July 10 spacewalk.

The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination. The spacewalk comes in the wake of two consecutive ballistic entries by the previous Soyuz spacecraft, entries that resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area.

Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

Scheduled to begin about 2:20 p.m. EDT, the spacewalk should last about six hours and focus on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules. Volkov and Kononenko will leave the Pirs docking compartment and move to the Strela hand-powered crane mounted nearby. Volkov, wearing the red-striped Orlan spacesuit and designated EV1, and Kononenko will mount a foot restraint on the end of Strela. Kononenko, EV2 in the blue-striped suit, will get into the foot restraint and Volkov will maneuver him to the Soyuz, docked to the Earth-facing port on Pirs.

After installing covers to protect nearby thrusters, Kononenko will cut and secure insulation and inspect and photograph the area. Then Volkov will move along the Strela to join Kononenko, who will install a handrail on the Soyuz and a cover to protect fluid lines. Volkov will cut a wire tie between adjacent pyrotechnic bolts in the suspect position and demate an electrical connector. Next he will unscrew and retrieve the pyro bolt and stow it in a protective cylindrical case. He'll reinstall the insulation cover, and remove the thruster covers, taking photos after each step. Kononenko and Volkov will move back to the Strela controls and both will maneuver the crane back to its stowage position on Pirs.

They'll stow a bag with the blast-proof container holding the pyro bolt back in the airlock. If time permits, they'll install a docking target on the space-facing side of the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini-research module atop Zvezda. The module will be delivered on a future mission.

The cosmonauts will return to Pirs, enter the airlock and close the hatch. Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff will remain in the Soyuz during the spacewalk, part of contingency preparations for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock cannot be repressurized.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct another spacewalk July 15 to outfit the Russian segment's exterior, install one scientific experiment and retrieve another.

Bye for now,

Nick

ISS Expedition 17