The problem emerged in one of the two American spacesuits in which flight commander Padalka was to do extra vehicular activities.
The new EVA-preparation date is June 4, Puzanov said.
"Before EVA Padalka and Fincke will attach new rubber gloves to their spacesuits. The gloves will be brought to the station by the Progress M-49 space truck on May 27. (The ISS is now serviced by only Russian manned ships Soyuz TMA and space trucks Progress M.) The Russian spacesuits Orlan-M may be chosen for EVA", Puzanov said.
The spacewalk was preliminarily set for June 10 and planned from the American ISS segment, which is the reason why Padalka and Fincke were to wear the American spacesuits.
Now only two of the four gyroscopes of American make, ensuring orbital orientation of the ISS, are properly operating. The ISS flight correction will, for the time being, be done by the engines of the Russian service module.
The main goals of the ninth ISS expedition are: maintaining the station's manned flight mode during 183 days until the next relief of the crew, including docking and undocking of the Russian servicing ships Soyuz TMA and Progress M; two spacewalks; carrying out of the applied-research and experiment programmes; work under the visiting-crew and commercial-programme programmes.
Crew commander Colonel Padalka, 45, of the Russian Air Force spent several hundred days aboard the Mir orbital cluster and made two spacewalks. For Lieutenant-Colonel Fincke, 37, of the United States Air Forces it is the first orbital mission. Fincke's preparation for the ISS work was his stand-by role during the 4th and 6th expeditions.
