"Mir Space Walk," Spaceflight, December 1988, p. 457; "Mir Mission Report: TTM Telescope Repaired," Neville Kidger, Spaceflight, February 1989, p. 64; "Mir Mission Report," Neville Kidger, Spaceflight, December 1988, p. 454; Soviet Year in Space 1988, Nicholas Johnson, 1989, p. 100; Krasnaya Zvezda, October 21, 1988, p. 3 (abstracted in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space, February 16, 1989, pp. 36-37); Flight Crew Support on the Mir Space Station, JSC 26898, Paul Campbell, December 1994, pp. 124-128; "U.S., Russian Suits Serve Diverse EVA Goals," James Asker, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 16, 1995, pp. 40-45, "Design to Safety: Experience and Plans of the Russian Space Suit Programme," Guy Severin, Acta Astronautica, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 15-23, 1994.
November 26
Mir/Soyuz-TM 7 PE-4 launch
December 2–6
STS-27/Atlantis
December 9
1988 EVA 4
World EVA 76 French EVA 1/Russian EVA 25 Space Station EVA 33
Duration: 5:57 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-3/Mir PE-4 Crew: Vladimir Titov, Musa Manarov, Valeri Polyakov (Mir PE-3); Alexandr Volkov, Sergei Krikalev, Jean-Loup Chretien (Mir PE-4) Spacewalkers: Jean-Loup Chretien, Alexandr Volkov Purpose: Perform first French EVA; conduct engineering experiments for Hermes Development Program and Columbus space station program
This EVA made Chretien the first non-U.S./non-Soviet spacewalker. His EVA was a highlight of the 3-wk French-Soviet Aragatz mission, which began with Soyuz-TM 7's arrival at Mir on November 28. Initially the EVA was scheduled for December 12, but the TsUP elected to move it to December 9 to leave time for Chretien to participate in a second EVA if the hexagonal ERA platform did not deploy. Fully deployed, ERA measures 3.6 m (11.8 ft) wide by 3.8 m (12.5 ft) long. Chretien's EVA was scheduled to last just 3 hr. First outside, he leaned out of a transfer compartment hatch and unfolded handrails recessed into Mir's hull. Then he used springs and hooks to attach the Enchantillons space exposure rack to the handrails. It carried five technological experiments. Chretien attached electrical leads to Mir's power supply and with difficulty opened sample container lids on the rack. Volkov then joined Chretien outside to set up the 240-kg (528-lb) ERA, which included a mounting platform, deployable structure, and "filming block" for recording deployment. They attached the mounting platform to handrails on the frustum between Mir's transfer compartment and small-diameter work compartment, then attached the deployable structure. Sergei Krikalev commanded ERA to deploy from inside Mir, but it remained stubbornly folded. The frustrated cosmonauts shook the recalcitrant structure, but the TsUP rejected Volkov's offer to kick ERA. After consultation with French engineers, the TsUP told the cosmonauts to discard ERA and return inside if it failed to open by remote command. Mir then passed out of radio range, and Volkov kicked ERA several times. When the TsUP reacquired Mir, it learned that the platform was fully deployed. The cosmonauts discarded the structure and returned inside, setting a new Soviet EVA endurance record.
"Mir Mission Report," Neville Kidger, Spaceflight, March 1989, pp. 78-79; "France to Gain Extensive Manned Spaceflight Experience on Mir," Jeffrey Lenorovitz, Aviation Week & Space Technology, November 28, 1988, p. 43; Soviet Year in Space 1988, Nicholas Johnson, 1989, pp. 102-103; "VLD/ERA: A French Experiment on the Soviet Union Mir Station," IAA-88-050, Gilles Debas, Pierre Picard, and Patrick Aubry, 39th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, October 15-18, 1988.
1990
January 8
1990 EVA 1
World EVA 77 Russian EVA 26 Space Station EVA 34
Duration: 2:56 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-5 Crew: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Spacewalkers: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Purpose: Install new star trackers on Kvant module
The Kvant 2 module arrived at Mir's front port on December 6, 1989, and was pivoted into place at one of the radial ports using a robot arm. Viktorenko and Serebrov then moved their Soyuz-TM 8 spacecraft to the front port to make way for Progress freighters at the station's Kvant module aft port. On December 29 they began preparations for the first of five planned PE-5 EVAs to integrate Kvant 2 into the Mir complex and receive the Kristall module. On this date the cosmonauts exited Mir through one of three unoccupied radial ports in Mir's transfer compartment. The EVA's start was delayed 1 hr by an uncooperative valve - it let air escape from Soyuz-TM 8 when the cosmonauts spilled air from the transfer compartment. Viktorenko and Serebrov finally egressed during orbital night, just before midnight Moscow time. The cosmonauts had other minor problems - a broken wire in Viktorenko's suit prevented water temperature monitoring and Serebrov's coolant loop leaked. Despite these minor annoyances, the cosmonauts successfully installed two star trackers - each weighing 80 kg (176 lb) - on "standard points" on Kvant while out of contact with the TsUP. They retrieved Meduza samples from Mir's hull before ending the EVA.
The Soviet Year in Space 1990, Nicholas Johnson, 1991, pp. 98-100; TASS, January 9, 1990 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-001), March 15, 1990, p. 9); TASS, December 29, 1989 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-001), March 15, 1990, p. 8); "Cosmonauts Take Space Walk to Upgrade Mir Station," James Fisher, Space News, January 15-21, 1990, p. 4; "The Experience in Operation and Improving the Orlan-type Space Suits," I. P. Abramov, Acta Astronautica, Vol. 36, No. 1, July 1995, pp. 1-12.
January 9–20
STS-32/Columbia
January 11
1990 EVA 2
World EVA 78 Russian EVA 27 Space Station EVA 35
Duration: 2:54 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-5 Crew: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Spacewalkers: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Purpose: Modify Mir following Kvant 2 arrival; miscellaneous tasks
This EVA, preparations for which commenced immediately after the January 9 spacewalk, marked the last use of the Mir transfer compartment as an airlock until 1995, and the last use of the Orlan-DMA suit with a power umbilical. Serebrov and Viktorenko retrieved the Echantillons exposure experiment attached to Mir's hull by Jean-Loup Chretien in December 1988. They then installed space exposure cassettes containing non-metallic materials on the Mir base block and installed on Kvant the Arfa ("harp")-E experiment, which monitored the ionosphere and magnetosphere. The cosmonauts removed the supports for the French ERA experiment from Mir's hull, then returned to the depressurized transfer compartment, where they moved the Konus #2 drogue from the +Y port (where Kvant 2 is docked) to the -Y port (opposite Kvant 2) to receive Kristall. After hard dock and activation of docking collar latches Konus #2 could be removed. Konus #1 remained in the Mir forward (-X) port at all times. Konus transfer was originally planned to occur during a separate EVA, so this reduced to four the total number of EVAs planned for Viktorenko and Serebrov.
The Soviet Year in Space 1990, Nicholas Johnson, 1991, pp. 100; TASS, January 11, 1990 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-001), March 15, 1990, p. 9).
January 26
1990 EVA 3
World EVA 79 Russian EVA 28 Space Station EVA 36
Duration: 3:02 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-5 Crew: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Spacewalkers: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Purpose: Test Orlan-DMA without umbilical; prepare Mir for SPK tests
This EVA marked the first use of the Orlan-DMA suit with an add-on package supplying power, telemetry, and communications, rendering obsolete the umbilical used on all previous Soviet EVAs. Viktorenko and Serebrov were linked to Mir only by tethers. The Kvant 2 Special Airlock Compartment (SALC) was also inaugurated on this EVA. The SALC, which became the main airlock of the Mir complex, contained the Soviet equivalent of the U.S. MMU, the Sredstvo Peredvizheniy Kosmonavtov ("Cosmonaut Maneuvering Equipment") (SPK). The device was manufactured by Zvezda, the same organization which built the Orlan space suits. The cosmonauts tested the suit modifications while they installed a "dock" (recovery winch and mooring post) for the SPK outside the Kvant 2 airlock. They then removed the obstructing Kvant 2 Kurs antenna ahead of the SPK flight test. Before pulling shut Kvant 2's large EVA hatch, they installed Ferrit and Danko space exposure cassettes on the module's hull and installed the Gemma-2 camera on the Kvant 2 tracking platform.
The Soviet Year in Space 1990, Nicholas Johnson, 1991, pp. 100; TASS, January 18, 1990 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-001), March 15, 1990, p. 10); TASS, January 26, 1990 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-001), March 15, 1990, p. 10).
February 1
1990 EVA 4
World EVA 80 Russian EVA 29 Space Station EVA 37
Duration: 4:59 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-5 Crew: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Spacewalkers: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Purpose: Test the SPK cosmonaut maneuvering device
Flight Engineer Serebrov trained for many years to fly the SPK using a computer-operated simulator. For this test, he remained attached to Mir at all times by a 60-m (197-ft) tether. The slender tether was deemed necessary because the station could not maneuver to retrieve him if he became stranded out of reach by SPK failure. It was attached to an electric winch on the dock installed on the previous EVA. The winch automatically took up slack in the tether to prevent tangling. The SPK attached to "magnetic" attachment points on the dock. During the test the visitor balcony in the TsUP was packed to capacity. Serebrov flew the SPK out 5 m (16.4 ft) from Mir and back three times. He then backed to 33 m (108 ft), stopped, and completed various maneuvers. Viktorenko videotaped Serebrov. During his final test maneuvers, Serebrov determined that he was approaching the dock off course. He corrected, and the tether caused him to flip backwards and rock "like a pendulum." Despite this, Guy Severin, Zvezda chief, told the Soviet press that engineers were pleased by initial results of the SPK test.
"Get Into Your Sleighs!: A Report from the Flight Control Center," A. Tarasov, Pravda, February 2, 1990, p. 1 (translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Space (JPRS-USP-90-003), July 30, 1990, pp. 14-15); "Mir Mission Report: Cosmonauts Fly Their Space Motorcycle," Neville Kidger, Spaceflight, July 1990, pp. 229-230; The Soviet Year in Space 1990, Nicholas Johnson, 1991, pp. 100-101.
February 5
1990 EVA 5
World EVA 81 Russian EVA 30 Space Station EVA 38
Duration: 3:45 Spacecraft/mission: Mir PE-5 Crew: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Spacewalkers: Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexandr Serebrov Purpose: Test SPK
Before this second and final flight of the SPK, Serebrov attached the Spin-6000 device to an attachment fixture on the front of the SPK belly band. Spin-6000 measured the radiation background outside Mir, focusing on the secondary radiation produced by atomic particles striking the station's hull. Serebrov backed away to 45 m and did an "aerobatic" roll, covering a total of about 200 m. He needed help from Serebrov to redock because Spin-6000 blocked his view of the dock. According to Vladimir Shatalov, Head of Cosmonaut Training, the SPK was to be used after these first two tests for undefined "practical purposes." Other officials said that it would be used to inspect Mir's exterior. In fact, the SPK remained stored inside Mir until February 1996, when it was abandoned at the end of its dock outside the Kvant 2 airlock hatch to make more room in the Kvant 2 SALC.
"Soviet MMU Set For Tests in January," Spaceflight, January 1990, p. 11; "Mir Mission Report: Cosmonauts Fly Their Space Motorcycle," Neville Kidger, Spaceflight, July 1990, pp. 229-230; The Soviet Year in Space 1990, Nicholas Johnson, 1991, pp. 100-101.