During the period 15-17 November, astronauts, cosmonauts and taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) all took part in extra vehicular activity (EVA) on three spacewalks. Both the International Space Station (ISS) and the Chinese Space Station (Tiandong) were involved.
On 15 November 2022 NASA Flight Engineer astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio depressurised the Quest airlock on the ISS at 1406 GMT and opened the hatch at 1410 GMT. With their suits switched to battery power at 1414 GMT, astronauts Cassada and Rubio could set about their primary objective which was to assemble a mounting bracket on the starboard side of the station’s truss assembly. This is in preparation for the installation of a pair of ISS Rollout Solar Arrays (iROSAs) in future EVAs. Some tasks were deferred, including the routing of cables for the 1B power channel and the installation of collars. Future EVAs will be able to complete any remaining cable work. The EVA concluded at 2120 GMT after 7 hours and 11 minutes. Re-pressurization commenced at 2125 GMT. This was both Cassada’s and Rubio’s first spacewalk.
Astronaut Frank Rubio on the 254th spacewalk in support of the Space Station assembly. Courtesy: NASA
On 17 November 2022 at 0316 GMT taikonauts Chen Dong and Cai Xuzhe exited the Wentian hatch of the Chinese Space Station (Tiangong). Their mission to raise a panoramic camera and to install a connection “bridge” between three modules. During Shenzhou 14 EVA #3 both robotic arms on the station were used to complete their mission. The EVA concluded approximately 0850 GMT after around five and a half hours.
Chinese EVA with Taikonauts making full use of their robotic arms -China Central Television – CCTV
Later on 17 November 2022, at 1439 GMT Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin opened the hatch of the Poisk docking compartment of the ISS. Their objective is to prepare a radiator on the Rassvet module on the Earth-facing side of the ISS for installation on the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM). The radiator will be relocated on the next EVA. The Rassvet module is used primarily for cargo storage and some payload operations and the radiator has been housed on the module for the last 12 years. The EVA was concluded at 2107 GMT after after 6 hours and 25 minutes. This was the 10th spacewalk at the ISS in 2022 and Prokopyev’s third spacewalk and Petelin’s first.
A second cosmonaut spacewalk by the Prokopyev and Petelin on 25 November (EVA-56) was called off at the last minute by Roscosmos due to a fault with a ventilation/cooling fault on the Orlan space suit of Sergei Prokopyev.
Cosmonauts Prokopyev and Petelin prepare to open valves and release nitrogen from the radiator. Courtesy: NASA
