[LOOK] Russian Cosmonauts to Install Upgrades For the Robotic Arm Following Spacesuit Problem Weeks Ago

A pair of Russian cosmonauts are returning into space to install Europe's Robotic Arm. This would be their second attempt after the incident a couple of weeks ago.

Their first attempt was interrupted by a sudden spacesuit power issue that no one expected to happen.

Russian Cosmonauts to Resume Interrupted Operation

According to Gizmodo, Denis Matveev and Oleg Artemyev, two Roscosmos cosmonauts, have explored the exterior part of the International Space Station. Their goal is to install the European Robotic Arm.

Unfortunately, Artemyev's Orlan spacesuit encountered issues with the battery. NASA noticed that there were voltage fluctuations in his spacesuit. This prompted the spacewalk to be stopped at that time.

The exploration was projected to last for over six hours, but some tasks were left hanging because of the unexpected interruption. They will be continued in the next excursion, NASA said.

Despite this problem, the cosmonauts showed how the robotic arm moves on Aug. 24.

"The primary objectives of the spacewalk are to relocate an external control panel for the arm from one operating area to another and test a rigidizing mechanism on the arm that will be used to facilitate the grasping of payloads," the space agency said.

As per the European Space Agency, the first motion of the robot will be all about the payload movement. This will mean moving it to the other part of the module. Later, it will be reverted to its former position.

When Will the Next Spacewalk Start?

As per Space.com, the next spacewalk of the two Russian cosmonauts in the ISS already began at around 9:20 EDT on Friday, Sept.2.

The coverage of the event kicked off at 9 AM EDT. You can watch the live stream via NASA on YouTube. It's also available on NASA's official media channel through this link.

During the webcast, the Roscosmos commentators will be speaking in Russian. However, you can check the English translation of the commentary at the same time when you watch the live stream.

This spacewalk will be the eighth exploration at the International Space Station this year.

In another space-related report, Tech Times reported that China's space nuclear reactor is so powerful that it could power 10 International Space Stations.

Although there are no technical details yet about the reactor's capability, it's interesting to note that some parts of it have been finished already, according to the project participants.

It's allegedly far more superior than what NASA plans to launch to the moon by 2030. Compared to the reactor made by the US, it's 100 times more powerful, and that is very massive for its capacity.

If the US wants to surpass this Chinese reactor, it should further improve its nuclear program in the following years to come.

Read Also: Russia and China's Space Weapons Prompts US Pentagon to Hold a Confidential Meeting

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Written by Joseph Henry