Alexander Gerst tests spacesuit. Credits: ESA/NASA
On Tuesday Alexander Gerst and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman will exit the Quest airlock on the International Space Station to spend the day outside working.
They will open the airlock to exit the Station (egress in space jargon) at about 14:15 CEST and they are expected to return inside (ingress) between 19:55 and 20:40 CEST.
Their main tasks are to move a water pump and install new equipment on the Station’s robotic arm.
Alexander has callsign EV2 and will wear the spacesuit with no stripes on the legs. Reid will be EV1 and wear the spacesuit with two red stripes.
Live coverage of their spacewalk begins at 13:00 CEST via NASA TV which you will be able to follow right here on the blog. Get mobile updates vie Twitter through @esaoperation with #EVA27.
Click on the image for a detailed timeline of their activities.
Spacewalk EVA27 timeline.
Here is a non-exhaustive wordlist to help you read the timeline and follow the spacewalk on Tuesday.
- EVA – Extra Vehicular Activity, or spacewalk
- DEPRESS – depressurisation, letting the air out of the airlock
- EGRESS – leaving the Station
- SSRMS – Space Station Remote Manipulator System, also known as Canadarm2 or the Station’s robotic arm
- MTRA – Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly the new equipment that will power the robotic arm even when it is being moved.
- PM – Pump Module
- Get ahead – tasks that the astronauts can do if time permits
- R&R – Repair and Return, replace the faulty part and return it.
- CETA cart – Crew and Equipment Translation Aid, a cart for astronauts to transport equipment or themselves during a spacewalk.
- INGRESS – Enter the Station
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