Space

ISS astronauts to test new Russian spacesuits

RIA Novosti

11:2405/06/2009 MOSCOW, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - Two astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a spacewalk on Friday to install new equipment and test new Russian-made spacesuits, Russia's Mission Control said.

Russian Commander Gennady Padalka and U.S. Flight Engineer Michael Barratt, wearing Orlan-MK computerized spacesuits, will install three antennas for the Kurs auto-docking system to receive a Russian MIM-2 small research module, which will be delivered on board the next Progress cargo spacecraft.

The five-hour spacewalk is scheduled to start at 10:45 Moscow time (06:45 GMT), Mission Control said.

The Orlan-MK's main improvement is the replacement of the radio-telemetry equipment in the Portable Life Support System backpack which contains a mini-computer. This computer processes data from the spacesuit's various systems and provides a malfunction warning. It then outlines a contingency plan which is displayed on an LCD screen on the right chest part of the spacesuit.

Astronauts previously had to memorize contingency plans.

During the current 180-day mission, the six-member ISS crew will receive and unload three Russian Progress craft and a Japanese HTV-1 space freighter, conduct two spacewalks and carry out a series of scientific experiments.

On June 10, Padalka and Barrat will work in the depressurized docking bay of the Zvezda module to install a docking cone for MIM-2.