Cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky practised typical operations with elements of target tasks planned during the spacewalk. On 11 June, they consolidated their skills in extravehicular activities (EVA): opening and closing the hatch, moving and working on the external surface of the station, and emergencies. This training can be called credit training, so the instructors tried to create for the cosmonauts the maximum of emergencies that they may encounter during EVA.
In this case, special attention was paid to the transport of inoperable operator: the astronauts performed this operation in turn, switching places. They also practised an emergency escape to the transition compartment when a hatch depressurisation was detected during its closure.
– Recently, the crew training programme has included work with the ERA robot manipulator. After several training sessions on typical operations, the cosmonauts began to work out the target tasks planned during the upcoming spacewalks, – explained Valery Nesmeyanov, Head of Laboratory 1, head of the test and training team.
Working with the tools of extravehicular activities implies the use of tools that are placed on the attachments of the Orlan spacesuit. This set necessarily includes a universal tool – cutter – knife, which is used to perform various tasks, including work in abnormal situations. There is also a special container where astronauts put small things that need to be taken with them, such as nuts and wire.
The solution of target tasks, which the astronauts started during training in the hydrolab on 14 June, involves installation and/or repair, work with equipment because every spacewalk includes scientific experiments, the implementation of which is impossible without equipment.
With the participation of instructors, divers, and doctors, the cosmonauts during the training fulfilled all typical and target tasks that were set before them and showed a good level of cooperation in the hydro environment. Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky are now being trained as understudies of the main crew of the 72nd long-duration expedition to the ISS.
