ISS Russian Cosmonauts conduct Third Spacewalk (EVA) of October

Spacewalker Maxim Suraev works outside the Poisk mini-research module in January 2010.

Image Credit: NASA TV

Russian spacewalkers Max Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev opened the Pirs docking compartment hatch to the vacuum of space at 9:28 a.m. EDT to begin the third spacewalk for Expedition 41 crew members in as many weeks.

Their spacewalk is expected to last six hours. Two U.S. spacewalks took place Oct. 7 and 15.

Russian spacewalkers Max Suraev and Alexander Samokutyaev.

Image Credit: NASA TV

The duo’s first task is to remove the Radiometriya experiment that was installed on the Zvezda service module in 2011 and which is no longer required for data collection.

They will then jettison it for a later reentry into the atmosphere where it will burn up. The experiment gathered data to help scientists predict seismic events and earthquakes.

The veteran cosmonauts will then move on to another external experiment and remove its protective cover.

They will photograph the Expose-R experiment before taking a break during the orbital night period.

After orbital sunrise, they will take more photographs of the work area, translate back to Pirs and place the protective cover inside.

The European Space Agency study exposes organic and biological samples to the harsh environment of space and observes how they are affected by cosmic radiation, vacuum and night and day cycles.

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ISS cosmonauts detect smoke in Zvezda Service Module

The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) has been alerted to a little smoke coming from the Russian module, NASA website reported Wednesday.

The smoke was coming out of a vent in the Zvezda Service Module, according to the US space agency.

The Russian segment's ventilation system was isolated by flight controllers at the mission control center in Houston, RIA Novosti report.

"Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson reported that the smoke quickly subsided and the crew was not in any danger,"NASA added.

Russian flight controllers determined that the smoke was most likely caused by a heater for the Russian segment's water reclamation unit used for cooking.

Russia to Deorbit ISS Pirs Module in 2013

The ISS currently has five Russian-built modules: the Zvezda service module, the Zarya cargo block, the Pirs docking module, the Poisk ("Search") research module and Rassvet ("Dawn") research module.

Russia plans to deorbit and sink its Pirs docking module of the International Space Station later this year, a high-ranking official with the Russian space corporation RKK Energia said on Friday.

Alexander Kaleri, the head of the company's scientific technical center, said undocking and deorbiting Pirs will take place before a new Russian module docks with the station.

Alexander Kaleri

Alexander Derechin, RKK Energia deputy chief designer said in late March the launch of the multirole laboratory module (MLM) is tentatively scheduled for the end of 2013.

"The final spacewalk [by Russian members of the present ISS crew] is scheduled to take place before the arrival of the new multirole laboratory module (MLM) and will be devoted to the "departure" of the Pirs docking module. It should be de-orbited and sunk prior to MLM arrival," he said.

He said that Russian cosmonauts are scheduled to make six spacewalks this year, one of them is currently underway. The six-hour spacewalk by Flight Engineers Pavel Vinogradov and Roman Romanenko is due to end by midnight Moscow time [8:00 p.m. GMT].

Russia is planning to launch four new ISS modules - MLM, a node module and two science-power modules - by 2020, when the time comes to de-orbit the existing international outpost in space.

ISS Solar Reflections: The solar array attached to the Zvezda Service Module

Credit: NASA

The solar array attached to the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station reflects bright sunlight on April 3, 2013. 

One of the Expedition 35 crew members took the photo as part of a visual inspection, or External Survey, from International Space Station windows.

This inspection has been recently added to the crew's task list because of the risk of space debris and micro-meteorite damage.