Author Topic: VKD-45a Russian Spacewalk (Dec 11th, 2018) (Read 56374 times)

eeergo · « **on:** 12/07/2018 06:45 am »

Starting the thread to cover the upcoming Russian EVA/VKD-45a (not 46!

) whose main objective will be the exterior inspection of Soyuz MS-09 in order to ascertain more clearly how the infamous hole on the Orbital Module, on the pressure hull close to the toilet's deposit, came to be.

Leading theory appears to be a production issue that was somehow covered up, and the repair material got sucked out of the hole towards the exterior of the spacecraft after some thermal and pressure cycles prodded it loose. Of course, this appears to be just speculation at this point, and finding the hypothesized loose repair material trapped between the hull and the thermal blankets. Also, an external view of the damaged area should give more information on how the hole came to be, as well as how the new epoxy repair is holding up.

I don't have any information about secondary objectives or get-aheads at this time.

Svetoslav · « **Reply #1 on:** 12/07/2018 07:04 am »

What... is this EVA still going to be conducted?

eeergo · « **Reply #2 on:** 12/07/2018 07:18 am »

Quote from: Svetoslav on 12/07/2018 07:04 am

What... is this EVA still going to be conducted?

Have you seen otherwise elsewhere? Latest mention in the ISS Status Reports from Nov 28th...

Svetoslav · « **Reply #3 on:** 12/07/2018 07:43 am »

Quote from: eeergo on 12/07/2018 07:18 am

Have you seen otherwise elsewhere? Latest mention in the ISS Status Reports from Nov 28th...

I thought I haven't seen this on Russian forums and media, but it appears I was wrong.

The latest info from TASS ( https://tass.ru/kosmos/5875183 ), dated 2 days ago, shows this EVA is still scheduled for 11 december.

Olaf · « **Reply #4 on:** 12/07/2018 07:55 am »

Latest mention yesterday
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/12/06/dragon-and-spacewalk-preps-as-new-crew-adapts-to-space/?fbclid=IwAR2ub3RXssBqk1YUz0ofScUJUyTPpEuy_K7XIA-DMtJm_uO_bepsc4YSRZY

Quote

Kononenko also joined Flight Engineer Sergey Prokopyev to ready a pair of Russian Orlan spacesuits for a spacewalk on Dec. 11. The duo will inspect the Soyuz MS-09 crew ship that will return Prokopyev, Gerst and Serena back to Earth Dec. 19 U.S. time.

jacqmans · « **Reply #5 on:** 12/07/2018 08:29 am »

December 06, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY M18-184

Coverage Set for Russian Spacewalk at International Space Station

Two Russian cosmonauts will venture outside the International Space Station at 11 a.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 11, to conduct a six-hour spacewalk. Live coverage will begin at 10 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Expedition 57 Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos will use this spacewalk to examine a section of the external hull of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft currently docked to the space station. In late August, a pressure leak occurred on the space station that was traced to the Soyuz. Within hours after finding the source of the leak, the Expedition 56 crew sealed the hole and the station has since maintained a steady pressure.

The cosmonauts will take samples of any residue found on the hull and take digital images of the area before placing a new thermal blanket over it. The samples and images will provide additional information that will aid the investigation into the cause of the pressure leak. The cosmonauts also will retrieve science experiments from Rassvet before heading back inside.

Kononenko, extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1), will wear a spacesuit bearing red stripes on this spacewalk, the fourth of his career. Prokopyev, on his second spacewalk, will bear blue stripes as EV2.

Prokopyev, NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Alexander Gerst are scheduled to depart the station in the Soyuz MS-09 at 8:42 p.m. Dec. 19, returning home to Earth after a six-and-half-month mission.

SMS · « **Reply #6 on:** 12/07/2018 07:29 pm »

Oleg Kononenko - Orlan MKS #5 (red stripes) - EV1
Sergey Prokopyev - Orlan MKS #4 (blue stripes) - EV2

Targeteer · « **Reply #7 on:** 12/09/2018 09:02 pm »

The Cosmonauts checked out their suits this morning

eeergo · « **Reply #8 on:** 12/10/2018 12:57 pm »

Overview video by Energia showing the training (not in the neutral buoyancy pool, is it still not operational?) for tomorrow's EVA.

It will involve major MMOD cutting, so expect lots of small debris flying out in this EVA. Note the "space dagger", "space scissors" and "oversized space shear cutter"

https://twitter.com/i/status/1072122550904336384