Moscow. August 3rd. INTERFAX.RU – Russian cosmonauts will conduct spacewalks on September 2 and 8 to integrate the Nauka module into the ISS, Roscosmos reported on Tuesday.
“The Russian crew members of the 65th long-term expedition are beginning to prepare for the upcoming spacewalks. The next ones are tentatively scheduled for September 2 and 8, 2021. They will be dedicated to the integration of the new Science module on the outside of the International Space Station,” says in the message.
The integration of the new module into the station will take more than six months and will require about ten spacewalks of Russian cosmonauts. “During this period, it is necessary to stretch cable networks and pipelines, install means for securing large-sized objects, as well as an airlock and a radiation heat exchanger, which are currently located at the Rassvet small research module,” added the state corporation.
Re-docking of the Soyuz MS-18 manned transport vehicle from the Rassvet module and docking with the Nauka is scheduled for September 28. It is noted that “Soyuz MS-18” by its “reparking” will free the docking station for the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft, the launch of which is scheduled for October 5.
On July 29, the Nauka module docked to the ISS, after which an abnormal situation occurred: the engines on the module turned on, which caused the ISS to turn 45 degrees. Russian experts attributed the incident to a software failure.
Last Friday, cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov opened the transfer hatches and boarded the new Russian module.
The module launch dates have been repeatedly postponed. Initially, the launch of the Science module was scheduled for 2017, but was postponed to 2018 due to problems with the fuel system. Rogozin later said that the main reason for the problems with the fuel system of Nauka was not a blockage, but a defect.
The new Russian module is designed to increase the technical and operational capabilities of the ISS Russian Segment.
