Key Takeaways
- Two Roscosmos cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy, will perform a spacewalk on October 16.
- The event starts at 12:50 p.m. EDT, with coverage beginning at 12:15 p.m. EDT.
- This marks the 276th spacewalk in ISS history, with Ryzhikov wearing a suit with red stripes and Zubritskiy in blue.
Spacewalk Details
On October 16, two cosmonauts from Roscosmos, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy, will conduct a significant spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). Scheduled to begin at 12:50 p.m. EDT (16:50 GMT), this extravehicular activity (EVA) is anticipated to last approximately 5.5 hours. Live coverage of the spacewalk will be available on Space.com, facilitated by NASA, starting at 12:15 p.m. EDT (16:15 GMT).
During the spacewalk, Ryzhikov, the commander of the ISS’s current Expedition 73, and Zubritskiy will undertake several crucial tasks. They will install a molecular beam experiment on the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module, remove a mounting platform for a commercial camera that will be discarded, and clean the windows of the Zvezda Service Module. Oleg Platonov, another Roscosmos cosmonaut, will operate the European Robotic Arm from within the station during this operation.
Due to an ongoing government shutdown affecting NASA, most agency activities are currently on hold, resulting in the furlough of 80% of its staff. However, NASA will provide minimal technical commentary during the spacewalk, as it is deemed an essential operation. Critical missions, including weather satellite operations and work related to the Artemis program, remain ongoing.
The upcoming EVA is notable for both cosmonauts, with this being Zubritskiy’s first spacewalk and Ryzhikov’s second. Distinctive suits will help differentiate them: Ryzhikov will be in a suit marked with red stripes, while Zubritskiy will wear blue. This event will be commemorated as the 276th spacewalk in the history of the ISS, which has hosted astronaut crews continuously since November 2000.
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