Two Russian cosmonauts, Sergei Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin, wrapped up a spacewalk that focused on routine transfer and securing duties aboard the International Space Station. The mission featured the relocation and securing of the airlock to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module with the European robotic arm, ERA. Conducted from the orbiting lab, the operation underscored how modern space stations blend human skill with robotic precision to maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure in microgravity. The decision to undertake the maneuver came after a detailed assessment, highlighting the exacting standards crews follow when managing complex docking and integration tasks in space, where even minor misalignments can threaten station systems and crew safety, as reported by Roscosmos.
Mission communications placed the completion time at 06:11 Moscow time, with Prokopiev and Petelin, members of the 69th expedition crew on a long-duration stay, finishing the hatch closure of the Poisk small research module. The spacewalk extended for seven hours and eleven minutes, during which the pair executed a sequence of installation and verification steps that are common in spaceflight yet demanding in execution. The extended duration allowed the crew to test backup procedures and confirm the reliability of on-orbit operations in the face of partial system anomalies, as noted by Roscosmos.
During the operation, the lock chamber was transferred from the Rassvet module to the Nauka module with the aid of ERA. Ground controllers, including cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev aboard the ISS, directed the robotic arm to maintain steady movements and ensure precise alignment. This teamwork between crew and robotics demonstrates how ISS tasks blend manual control with automated systems to maximize safety and efficiency when interfacing modular hardware in orbit, according to Roscosmos.
Initial attempts to secure the airlock through automatic docking mode encountered a setback when the catching latches did not engage properly due to an uneven docking orientation. Faced with this hurdle, the ERA team switched to a compatibility mode, enabling the crew to manually fine-tune the airlock’s orientation relative to Nauka. After this adjustment, the airlock was successfully inserted and secured, underscoring the vital importance of on-the-spot problem solving in space operations and the value of human judgment alongside robotics, as noted by Roscosmos.
The successful deployment represents another milestone in the ongoing collaboration among international partners and the evolving capabilities of the ISS. Prokopiev and Petelin have added another operational spacewalk to their record, expanding their experience with complex assembly tasks and demonstrating the station’s continued ability to upgrade and maintain key infrastructure in orbit, according to Roscosmos.