ISS Crew Prepares for Spacewalk in Orlan Spacesuits

The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) is now preparing for a spacewalk using the Orlan MKS No. 6 and No. 7 spacesuits, which, TASS special correspondent on the ISS and station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov explained, are essentially miniature spacecraft in their own right.

"Today we’ve got a training session in the Orlan spacesuits before we work with them outside the station. We checked our suits: the size, the fit, and working with the tools. This suit is called the Orlan, and it’s essentially a real single-seat spacecraft. It’s not like the Sokol emergency rescue suits, which feel more like wearing regular clothing," the cosmonaut said.

Kud-Sverchkov noted that cosmonauts do not simply put the suit on, they enter it through an open backpack. The cosmonaut can close and seal the Orlan from the inside, but, according to the ISS commander, it's better to have someone monitoring and assisting from the outside. The backpack is equipped with systems for oxygen supply, cooling, air purification and air conditioning, power supply, and radio communications. The suit weighs about 120 kg, and moving requires using the strength of your arms, as the Orlan has no autonomous propulsion system.

To cool their bodies, cosmonauts wear special underwear with a water cooling system, connected by hoses to the backpack. The spacesuit systems are controlled via a computer with a small screen and keys for oxygen supply, pressure regulation, and heat exchange. Safety is ensured by three safety tether springhooks.

Attached to the suit are a video recording system, on-camera lights, and a light filter to protect against the bright sun in the illuminated portion of orbit. Mirrors help monitor the position of controls and instruments, as it is impossible to see oneself from inside the suit. "It is in these single-person spacecraft, in our Orlan spacesuits, that we will soon exit through the exit hatches to work on the station," the ISS commander said.

The extravehicular activity is scheduled for May 27. Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, wearing Orlan-MKS No. 7 and No. 6 spacesuits, will install equipment and return the experimental results. Flight engineer Andrey Fedyayev will be on duty at the ERA robotic arm control panel from the ISS.