Two Russian cosmonauts successfully completed a spacewalk at the International Space Station, finishing all their tasks ahead of schedule, including the deployment of a radar initiated last year. During Expedition 71, crewmates Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub efficiently unfolded and secured the fourth panel for a synthetic radar communications system on the Russian Nauka multipurpose laboratory module (MLM) at 11:44 a.m. EDT (1544 GMT) on Thursday (April 25), just 47 minutes into the spacewalk.
“I will try first manually,” remarked Chub, using his gloved hand to push open the bulky, orange fabric-covered panel. “Latches are closed.” The task, while swift, was crucial to bring the radar system online. Initially, the fourth panel had failed to automatically unfold during their previous spacewalk together on Oct. 25, 2023. “The EVA was shorter than we expected, but what can you do?” radioed one of the cosmonauts.
With the radar fix completed, Kononenko and Chub swiftly moved on to other tasks outside the Russian segment of the orbiting laboratory. They adjusted the direction of a plume impingement unit used to measure thruster output, collected surface samples for later analysis, and brought back a biological exposure experiment for further study.
Additionally, the duo relocated and installed a stowage platform for hardware adapters on the Poisk mini-research module, supporting future spacewalk activities. They also completed the installation of two devices to measure corrosion on the station’s exterior.
Kononenko and Chub reentered and sealed the airlock hatch on the Poisk module at 3:33 p.m. EDT (1933 GMT), officially concluding their spacewalk after 4 hours and 36 minutes. Despite the planned duration of seven hours, they finished about two hours ahead of schedule.
The spacewalk marked the 270th in support of International Space Station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades, totalling 71 days, 11 hours, and 25 minutes. It was Kononenko’s seventh outing, bringing his total extravehicular activity (EVA) time to 44 hours and 30 minutes spanning three decades. Chub completed his second spacewalk, with a total of 12 hours and 17 minutes spent outside the International Space Station.
