Two Russian astronauts on Tuesday morning walked out of the International Space Station (ISS), starting a spacewalk preparing for the initiation of the small scientific module Rassvet, said the mission control center outside Moscow, Xinhua reported.
This is the second spacewalk of Russian astronauts this year. According to mission control spokesman Valery Lyndin, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Mikhail Kornienko opened the hatch gate of the Pirs docking module at 08:11 a.m. Moscow time (0411 GMT), and started a six-hour walk wearing new Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits.
The main task for the two astronauts was to lay wireless antenna outside the Rassvet module, place a camera for docking system at its exterior, and pave cables between Rassvet, Russia Zvezda service module and Zarya functional module. They will also replace a camera at the exterior of the Zvezda module.
Rassvet small scientific research module, or MIM-1, was delivered to the ISS by a U.S. space shuttle in May. The 7.9-ton module is designed to conduct a series of scientific experiments, especially those of biotechnology and material science. It can also be used to deposit experiment equipment.