Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemiev has returned to the International Space Station after addressing a problem with a spacesuit battery during an EVA. Roscosmos confirmed that the crew member went back to the airlock and connected the suit to a power source to restore life-support systems and mobility for the crew. Ground teams at Mission Control Center maintain continuous oversight to ensure the astronaut’s health and safety, and no immediate threats were observed to the mission or its crew.
Earlier communications from Roscosmos indicated that Artemiev and fellow veteran cosmonaut Denis Matveev were scheduled to continue preparations for the European Robotic Arm ERA, with operations planned to expand the station’s ability to handle robotic tasks in a variety of environments. The EVA was described as part of ongoing work to extend the capabilities of robotic manipulation aboard the ISS and to test the ERA’s performance in real-world conditions. The plan called for a six hour and forty four minute session to take place outside the station environment, focused on system checks, integration tasks, and precision maneuvers.
This spacewalk marked Artemiev’s seventh long-duration EVA and Matveev’s third, underscoring their extensive experience with space operations and procedures for maintaining critical hardware on the station. The teams have emphasized careful monitoring of suit integrity, power systems, and life-support subsystems as central to mission safety and success. In modern ISS operations, battery reliability in space suits is essential for EVA safety margins, and all components undergo rigorous checks before and during extravehicular activity to protect astronauts from the harsh conditions of space.
In a space program context, the recent events illustrate the joint efforts among international partners to sustain advanced orbital infrastructure. The issue highlights the importance of robust power management for crewed missions and the role of the Mission Control Center in providing real-time support, diagnostics, and decision making. As missions continue, engineers and flight surgeons stay vigilant, ready to respond to power anomalies and other potential hardware concerns that could impact mission objectives or crew wellbeing. The ongoing collaboration aims to ensure that every spacewalk advances scientific goals while preserving crew safety and mission resilience.