RUSSIAN SPACEWALK AT ISS (1 OF 2), Apr 18, 2022, Earth orbit, 10:25 am ET

Two Russian cosmonauts will conduct two spacewalks, on April 18 and April 28, to activate the European Robotic Arm on the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module that docked to the ISS last summer.

Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev will begin their 7-hour spacewalks at about 10:25 am ET each day.  NASA  coverage begins 10:00 am ET each day, airing on NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency’s website.

According to NASA’s press release:

During the first spacewalk, the cosmonauts will install and connect a control panel for the European robotic arm, a 37-foot-long manipulator system mounted to the recently arrived Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. They will also remove protective covers from the arm and install handrails on Nauka. The arm will be used to move spacewalkers and payloads around the Russian segment of the station.

On the second spacewalk, the duo will jettison thermal blankets used to protect the arm during its July 2021 launch with Nauka. They will also flex the arm’s joints, release launch restraints, and monitor the arm’s ability to use two grapple fixtures.