Published On 5/24/2026
Two Russian astronauts from the Russian space agency Roscosmos are preparing to carry out a new spacewalk mission outside the International Space Station on May 27, 2026, in a process described as extremely important to support scientific research and ensure the continued efficiency of the orbital laboratory orbiting around the Earth.
The live broadcast of the mission is scheduled to begin via the US Space Agency (NASA) at 2:45 pm GMT via the “NASA Plus” platform (NASA+), the “Amazon Prime” platform, and the NASA YouTube channel, while the space walk is expected to actually begin at 3:15 am and continue for approximately 5 hours.
Solar radiation experience and maintenance of station systems
The main task of the astronauts is to install a new scientific experiment for monitoring solar radiation on the Russian service module “Zvezda”. This experiment aims to study the radiation environment surrounding the International Space Station and its effects on electronic equipment and astronauts, which is important data for developing future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond low Earth orbit.
The two pioneers will also remove old scientific equipment from the Poisk and Nauka units as part of regular maintenance work that ensures the continued efficiency of the station’s scientific and technical systems.
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If enough time is available, the crew will also photograph the antennas of the “Corse” docking system located on the Russian “Progress 94” cargo vehicle, after the antennas failed to fully deploy following the launch of the vehicle last March.
A mission of great scientific and operational importance
The mission will be led by Expedition 74 commander Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, along with flight engineer Sergei Mikhaev. This mission represents the second spacewalk for Kud-Sverchkov, while it will be the first for Mikhaev.
According to tradition followed in Russian flights, “Kud-Sverchkov” will wear a spacesuit with red stripes, while “Mikayev” will wear a suit with blue stripes to make it easier to distinguish between them while working outside the station.
This operation will become the 279th spacewalk operation associated with the construction, maintenance and development of the International Space Station since the beginning of its operation, which reflects the enormous amount of human and engineering efforts required to maintain the continued human presence in space.
Why are spacewalks necessary?
Spacewalk operations represent one of the most complex and dangerous tasks in human spaceflight, as astronauts work in a harsh vacuum environment and are tied to the station via special safety ropes.
Every movement outside the station requires precision and long training, especially when dealing with sensitive equipment or setting up scientific experiments. These operations are also necessary to maintain the safety of the station and its continued ability to conduct scientific research in multiple fields, including medicine, physics, and studying the effects of space radiation on the human body.
Scientists confirm that the data collected by these experiments will help design better protection systems for astronauts during distant future missions, especially with the growing plans to return to the moon and send human missions to Mars in the coming decades.
