They installed a radio telescope designed to observe the Sun in the terahertz range of electromagnetic radiation.
On Wednesday, space agency Roscosmos confirmed that Russian cosmonauts have conducted their first spacewalk in 2026 from the International Space Station (ISS), performing complex extravehicular tasks within about 6 hours.
“Over six hours and six minutes of work outside the station, they performed a number of tasks under the ISS flight science program,” Roscosmos said in a statement following the successful completion of the cosmonauts’ assignment.
The tasks carried out by two Russian cosmonauts included installing a Russian radio telescope designed to observe the Sun in the previously unexplored terahertz range of electromagnetic radiation. The telescope was installed on the surface of the Zvezda service module belonging to the ISS’s Russian segment.
This instrument will help scientists gather more information about the occurrence of solar flares, which will help improve the accuracy of predicting magnetic storms and minimize risks to technology and infrastructure on Earth and in space.
The text reads, “Roscosmos releases images of spacewalk by Russian cosmonauts. Cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev spent six hours and six minutes on a spacewalk on Wednesday, May 27, carrying out the following tasks: Installation of the experimental radiological telescope Solntse-Teragerts, invented by Russia to observe the Sun in the terahertz spectrum; Removal of the container with microorganisms that were in open space for almost five years as part of the Biorisk experiment; and Removal of the module of the Ekran-M experiment, on the cultivation of semiconductor crystals.”
The ISS Is a Laboratory of Global Cooperation
The International Space Station is a permanently inhabited scientific laboratory that orbits Earth at an average altitude of about 400 kilometers (250 miles). It is a joint project involving five major space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Canadian Space Agency. Construction of the ISS began in 1998, and astronauts have continuously lived aboard the station since November 2000. The station travels at roughly 28,000 kilometers per hour, allowing it to circle Earth about every 90 minutes.
The ISS serves primarily as a research platform where scientists conduct experiments in microgravity, a condition in which objects appear nearly weightless. Research carried out aboard the station has contributed to advances in medicine, biology, physics, materials science, and space technology. Astronauts study how the human body responds to long-term exposure to space, helping researchers prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The station is equipped with laboratories, living quarters, robotic systems, solar arrays, and docking ports for visiting spacecraft that deliver supplies and crew members. Beyond its scientific importance, the ISS is considered one of the most significant examples of international cooperation in modern history. More than 270 astronauts and space travelers from numerous countries have visited the station. The ISS also plays an educational role by supporting student experiments and public outreach programs that encourage interest in science and engineering. Although some of its modules are aging, partner agencies continue to use the station while planning future space stations and deep-space exploration missions that could eventually replace it.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Xinhua – NASA – Reuters
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