Russian Cosmonaut Becomes First to Use European Robotic Arm on ISS Spacewalk
p>Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev became the first person to ride the European Robotic Arm (ERA) on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
Prokopyev and fellow cosmonaut Dmitry Rogozin spent 7 hours and 47 minutes outside the ISS, installing the ERA on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. The ERA is a 7-meter-long robotic arm that will be used to service and upgrade the ISS.
"It was a great pleasure to be the first person to ride the ERA," Prokopyev said after the spacewalk. "It's a very versatile arm and it will be a valuable asset to the ISS."
The ERA was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and is the first robotic arm to be operated by the ESA on the ISS. The arm is designed to be more maneuverable than the other robotic arms on the ISS, and it can be used to grapple objects that are too large or heavy for astronauts to move themselves.
The ERA is expected to be used for a variety of tasks on the ISS, including installing new modules, repairing damaged components, and deploying satellites. The arm is also expected to be used to conduct scientific experiments.
The successful deployment of the ERA is a major milestone for the ISS and for international cooperation in space. It is a testament to the hard work of the ESA, Roscosmos, and NASA engineers who worked on the project.
The ERA is a significant step forward for the ISS and for the future of space exploration. It will allow astronauts to perform tasks that were previously impossible, and it will help to keep the ISS operational for many years to come.
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