Cosmonauts staying at ISS for 6 months to catch up with spacewalks - Roscosmos official

MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Russia's program for the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed for six months by the Soyuz MS-22 emergency, yet the cosmonauts will perform their spacewalks and will do some of the work assigned for the next crew, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergei Krikalev said.

"The work was reassigned for the next crew for various reasons but now it happens so that the guys will continue their mission and have a chance to continue the fulfillment of their program or maybe even do some work for the next crew," Krikalev said in a video released by Roscosmos on Wednesday.

The cosmonauts have failed to do some work under their program, which envisages another two spacewalks for integration of the new module and installation of a radiator and an airlock chamber.

Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev said on September 1, 2022, that the current Russian crew of the ISS would perform five spacewalks.

Anna Kikina, who operates the ERA European robotic arm at the ISS, said on October 19 that the ERA would be used for the first time during extravehicular activity.

The cosmonauts failed to go on a spacewalk and do their job on November 25 because of the faulty operation of cooling pumps in a spacesuit.

Roscosmos said on December 15 that Russian cosmonauts had cancelled a spacewalk from the ISS due to contour depressurization of an external radiator of the Soyuz MS-22 spaceship. It was the second postponement of extravehicular activity under the Russian program.