14 DAY TRIAL // On Tuesday, Russian and American personnel did another spacewalk alongside the International Space Station (ISS), as they installed an automated probe, whose goal is to interpret and deliver data on the status of the Russian module attached to the station. During the six-hour long walk, the team conducted maintenance work, and performed a series of scientific experiments as well.
The main reason why the probe is now orbiting 200 kilometers above the Earth 's surface is the fact that the Russian module repeatedly encountered problems while trying to separate itself from the ISS, and the international team overseeing the completion of the project wanted to know exactly why that happened. The latest walk was broadcast live by NASA via the Internet, audio feedback included.
''I think we have done all we can. Why isn't it working?'' said Russian astronaut Yury Lonchakov during the spacewalk, on account of the fact that the team had to install a piece of equipment twice, because it didn't relay any data back to the command centers in Houston and Korolyov, respectively. Finally, despite the setback, they managed to complete all their mission objectives, which also including the removal of the Biorisk 2 biological experiment module attached to the ISS earlier this year.
In both October 2007 and April 2008, the Russian Soyuz module landed very roughly and faster than usual, giving Russian space commanders the chills. Crew members were fortunately not injured, but they resented the experiences, and said that the problems must be fixed. Both times, the module re-entered the Earth's atmosphere too steep, and landed hard, off the designated coordinates.
The mood during this latest walk was very relaxed because the station commander, American astronaut Michael Fincke, had already been in space four times. The two joked during their tedious operations, which involved connecting and disconnecting various cables again and again. ''Misha, look this way, I'm taking a picture of you,'' Lonchakov said at one point. “You are like paparazzi,'' Fincke replied.