Spacewalk Preparations Continue on the ISS

Spacewalk preparations continued Tuesday aboard the International Space Station as Expedition 17 crew members test their ability to enter the Soyuz spacecraft in spacesuits.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko practiced movements needed if the Pirs docking compartment airlock fails to repressurize after their July 10 spacewalk and they are forced to retreat to the upper orbital compartment of their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft. On Thursday, the crew will conduct a test of these movements while wearing Russian Orlan spacesuits.

The crew also reviewed procedures to move the Soyuz from Pirs to the nadir port of Zarya in the event of a problem with repressurizing Pirs. The Zarya port is currently occupied by the ISS Progress 29 cargo craft, which would have to be discarded before the Soyuz could dock there.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff prepared U.S. spacewalking tools that Volkov and Kononenko will take with them on their excursion.