MOSCOW, June 16. The commander of the Russian cosmonaut corps, Oleg Kononenko, tested a model of a new Russian spacesuit for working on the surface of the Moon and evaluated the work of the hinges, as well as the convenience of performing basic operations in it, the Roscosmos press service told reporters on Friday.
«Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (part of Roskosmos State Corporation) has tested a model of a new spacesuit that will be used by Russian cosmonauts for exits to the lunar surface,» the report says.
The layout was created by the Zvezda Research and Production Enterprise named after Severin with the participation of the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering (TsNIIMash) and the CPC.
The first spacesuit mock-up was tested on the Vykhod-2 weight loss simulator by Oleg Kononenko, commander of the cosmonaut detachment. He appreciated the mobility of the lunar «suit» and the convenience when performing walking, jumping, squatting, climbing and descending on an inclined surface and working with tools.
«Its mobility and performance were tested. I performed typical operations: docking electrical connectors, pulling rails, trying to walk — everything that will be done on the surface of the Moon. The impressions are the most positive,» Kononenko specified, quoted by Roskosmos «.
According to him, the new spacesuit is «large enough», and due to the location of the bearings, the mobility of the arms is increased, the working surface and reach are expanded. The cosmonaut clarified that the volume of the helmet allows you to calmly rotate your head and look in different directions.
Deputy chief designer of NPP Zvezda for space equipment Alexander Tyukhtin, in turn, noted that the model was made in the course of research work to create the appearance of a lunar spacesuit to evaluate the operation of hinges under lunar gravity.
WHEN YOU MAY NEED
The exact date of the planned flight of the first Russian to the moon is unknown. Earlier plans were announced, according to which the first Russian will land on the moon in 2030. By the same time, it was planned to select a site for the construction of a lunar base by 2030, to prepare for construction by 2040, and in the fifth decade of the 21st century to begin work on the construction of the base.
Later, the Russian Federation and China revealed plans to create a joint International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS) and deploy it in two stages from 2025 to 2035. The station will consist of several modules and have the possibility of long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of a man on the Moon.
It remains unclear what the Russians will fly to the moon. The project of a super-heavy rocket, necessary for manned flights into deep space, has been revised several times and was last «suspended» in February 2021. However, in April 2023, Roscosmos CEO Yuri Borisov announced that the program would be resumed in 2024.
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