Two Russian astronauts ventured outside the Russian Pirs compartment at the International Space Station (ISS) for the first spacewalk this year, the Russian mission control center said on Friday.
Dmitry Kondratyev, 41, and Oleg Skripochka, 41, will spend six hours in space as part of the 27th Russian space station spacewalk. It will be the first time in open space for Kondratyev and the second time for Skripochka.
The astronauts arrived at the ISS on December 17 as part of the international Expedition 26 led by American Scott J. Kelly. They are to install new high-speed data transmission system and a protection hood.
Kondratyev and Skripochka are attired in new Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits equipped with a digital computer. Kondratyev earlier said in his blog that the crew had tested the spacesuits onboard to make sure they were hermetically sealed under high pressure.
In emergency situations, a digital screen on the spacesuit shows what action needs to be taken.
