Russian Cosmonaut Takes Historic Ride on Robotic Arm During Spacewalk Outside ISS

Sergey Prokopyev, commander of Expedition 69, made history by becoming the first cosmonaut to travel on a robotic arm while doing a spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS).

This noteworthy feat, which occurred on August 9, served as a critical test of the European Robotic Arm's (ERA) dependability and endurance, strengthening the space station's operational capabilities.

The ERA eagerly anticipated its first operational test before joining the ISS with the Nauka multipurpose scientific module in July 2021. The robotic arm, though, was formally placed on the Russian portion of the station in April 2022, according to Space.com. The ERA tested its skills by moving an experiment airlock and a large radiator during its first operational spacewalk.

Flawless Execution

Prokopyev stepped atop the ERA, which had a mobile workstation, to assess the arm's stability for this historic occasion. The robotic limb was expertly moved by cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev while operating inside the Nauka module, displaying its accuracy and control. The test went off without a hitch, demonstrating the robotic arm's suitability for various jobs.

The workstation's launch constraints and no longer-needed antenna coverings were discarded during the spacewalk. This was the 267th spacewalk specifically intended for ISS construction and maintenance, adding to the station's continuous improvements, per Spaceflight Now. This spacewalk added to Prokopyev and Petelin's combined experience of eight and six spacewalks, respectively.

Prokopyev's impressive track record of spacewalks, which includes 55 hours and 15 minutes spent working outside the ISS, positions him twelfth among spacewalkers with the most experience. The total amount of time spent on 267 ISS spacewalks has now impressively reached 70 days, 16 hours, and 26 minutes.

A Vital Component of The ISS

The ERA's unusual inchworm-like movement is made possible by its design, which resembles a human arm with two hands. Transferring payloads between various ISS regions has already shown how versatile the component is. The ERA helps with spacewalk assistance, payload transfers, and even assisting astronauts tied to the space station outside because of its capacity to transport up to 17,600 pounds (8 metric tons).

While the ERA's talents have been lauded, political unrest has also surrounded it in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's threat to refuse ERA access and stop installation operations at the Russian segment of the ISS in July 2022 highlighted the importance of the robotic arm in the context of geopolitical dynamics. Despite contentious arguments between the Russian space agency and its European colleagues, the robotic arm got connected to the Russian orbital component, as reported by Gizmodo.