Overview
- Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky completed Russia’s first spacewalk of 2025, returning after 6 hours 11 minutes outside the station.
- Using the ERA robotic arm, they installed, cabled, and verified the Ekran‑M apparatus on the Nauka module to begin molecular‑beam epitaxy of high‑purity semiconductor films.
- The pair also removed and jettisoned the Zvezda HRC camera, cleaned window No. 1 on Zvezda, and retrieved a cassette container from Poisk.
- The spacewalk marked the on‑orbit debut of Orlan‑MKS suits Nos. 6 and 7, featuring a new hermetic liner, automated water cooling, and updated onboard displays.
- A forgotten locking nut briefly delayed setup before it was removed with specialty pliers, and a follow‑up EVA is tentatively planned in about two weeks.