posted 06-05-2009 09:23 AM               

The Expedition 20 crew members share a meal in the Unity node of the International Space Station.

Pictured (from the left, clockwise) are Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, both flight engineers; cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, commander; cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, all flight engineers.

posted 06-05-2009 09:25 AM               

Russian Spacewalk to Prepare for New Module Complete

International Space Station Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt completed a spacewalk at 7:46 a.m. CDT Friday to prepare the Zvezda service module for the arrival of a new Russian module. The spacewalk was the seventh for Padalka and the first for Barratt.

The spacewalkers installed docking antennas, a docking target and electrical connectors for the Kurs automated rendezvous equipment. Barratt then rode on the end of the Strela boom, a manually operated crane, to take photographs of the antennas.

This outfitting of gear was in preparation for the arrival of the Russian Mini-Research Module-2, or MRM2, later this year. The MRM2 will dock automatically to the zenith port of Zvezda and will serve as an additional docking port for Russian vehicles.

The start of the spacewalk was delayed to 2:52 a.m. as Russian ground teams analyzed data from the Russian Orlan spacesuits that showed slightly high levels of carbon dioxide. The spacewalkers said they felt fine.

Padalka, the lead spacewalker or EV1, wore the suit with red stripes. Barratt, EV2, wore the blue-striped suit.

A second "internal" spacewalk by Padalka and Barratt will be conducted Wednesday to reposition an internal docking mechanism in the Zvezda service module for the arrival of the MRM2.

posted 06-10-2009 08:20 AM               

Crew Completes "Internal" Spacewalk

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt completed an "internal" spacewalk Wednesday at 3:07 a.m. EDT.

Padalka and Barratt replaced a Zvezda hatch with a docking cone. The excursion took place internally with the spacewalkers attached to umbilicals in Zvezda for life support. It lasted about 12 minutes.

Docking antennas, a docking target and electrical connectors were installed on the exterior of the Zvezda service module during their first spacewalk Friday.

The station is now ready for the docking of the Mini-Research Module 2, or MRM2, later this year. The MRM2 will dock automatically to the zenith port of Zvezda and will serve as an additional docking port for Russian vehicles.

posted 06-12-2009 08:24 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by ilbasso:
Under today's definition, Gemini IV would have been a 2-man spacewalk.

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As with all records there are rules and in the case of EVAs, Russia and the U.S. consider spacewalks to begin at different milestones.

Russian EVAs (any that originate from a Russian vehicle or are performed wearing a Russian pressure suit, regardless the nationality of the individual) begin at the point of depressurization of the area surrounding the spacewalkers, regardless if that happens to be inside a module rather than an airlock.

U.S. Gemini and Apollo spacewalks began at the point when the astronaut left the spacecraft but all subsequent American EVAs have begun at the moment when the suits are switched to internal (battery) power.

Padalka and Barratt were connected to umbilicals for the entire 12 minute EVA, such that by U.S. definitions, were they wearing U.S. spacesuits, their work would not be considered a spacewalk.

posted 06-12-2009 11:30 AM               

Do you count them as EVAs? If yes, for example Apollo 11 had two EVAs on the moon.

posted 06-12-2009 02:00 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SPACEFACTS:
In my opinion an IVA is not an EVA.

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posted 06-30-2009 08:01 PM               

NASA TV to Broadcast Space Station Crew's Move of Return Craft

Three members of the International Space Station crew will board a Soyuz spacecraft attached to the station and move it to a different docking port on Thursday, July 2. The journey will be broadcast live on NASA Television.

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt of NASA and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will undock the Soyuz TMA-14 return spacecraft, from the Zvezda service module and fly a short distance to the Pirs docking compartment. The flight is expected to take about 30 minutes.

NASA TV coverage will begin at 4 p.m. CDT with undocking planned for 4:26 p.m.

While Padalka, Barratt and Wakata are aboard the Soyuz, Expedition 20 Flight Engineers Roman Romanenko of Russia, Bob Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency will monitor the move from inside the station. Their Soyuz return craft, the TMA-15, is docked to the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module.

The relocation of Soyuz TMA-14 opens the Zvezda docking port for the arrival of a new Russian Progress cargo vehicle in late July.

posted 07-12-2009 09:30 AM               

Smoke on Station No Impact to Normal Crew Activities

Just after 6:30 p.m. EDT Friday, station Commander Gennady Padalka reported seeing visible smoke emanating from the SRV-K, a Russian water processing unit in the Zvezda Service Module. Padalka immediately shut off power to the equipment and the smoke began to quickly dissipate.

The smoke was not at a level that required the crew to take any further protective measures onboard, and they did not need to don breathing masks. There is no further impact to the station's operations.

Similar water processing equipment exists onboard in the U.S. segment of the complex.

The smoke did ring alarms on the station and the incident occurred about an hour after the crew had been scheduled to begin their sleep period, although crew members apparently were still awake at the time.

Russian flight contollers are analyzing data from the problem, but there is no impact to the crew's normal activities.

posted 08-04-2009 07:00 PM               

NASA Astronaut Sends First Tweets From Space Station

NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Col. Tim Kopra has become the first International Space Station crew member to use the social media tool Twitter to discuss living and working in orbit.

Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after arriving at the orbiting laboratory July 17 aboard space shuttle Endeavour. He is set to return to Earth on the STS-128 mission, which is targeted to launch Aug. 25.

Kopra will provide followers with a unique perspective as an Expedition 20 flight engineer and member of the Army. He is an Army aviator and West Point graduate. He periodically will answer questions submitted on the Army's Web site.

This is Kopra's first spaceflight. He completed his first spacewalk July 18 during the STS-127 mission. Kopra is in orbit with station Commander Gennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko -- both Russian cosmonauts -- and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt, European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk.