Even though I've been paying attention to EVAs since the days when
Gemini was a brand new spacecraft, it appears I'm still a novice. This
was highlighted during the IROSA spacewalks over the last 9 days.

I could follow along and mostly understand BRT and RET and PGT, but it
was fuzzy enough that I turned to search engines for clarification.
The first reference was a very welcome find. Apparently I wasn't
following Ars Technica in 2013, even though it is now on my Frequent
Visit shortlist. The article is a visit to Houston to follow astronaut
training ... for EVAs.

<URL:https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/03/swimming-with-spacemen/1/>

The ISS's railroad had a part to play in the IROSA spacewalks, but only
the CETA carts factored into the NASA TV coverage ... the astronauts
used it for temporary storage, especially when working around the IROSA
FSE (Flight Support Equipment) or IROSA carrier. The small cart (can I
call it a handcar?) can be seen in a 2002 picture illustrating a 2015
article:

<URL:https://www.planetary.org/articles/20151218-mt-jams-contingency-spacewalk>

And finally, the spacewalkers' helmet cameras figured in the 3
spacewalks: new HD cameras were included in all three (the HECA [1]),
and the second walk had the "we have a script, but we'll just ad lib
here a bit" factor when the ERCAs became detached. Shane Kimbrough's
started flopping in the middle of the EVA. Thomas Pesquet used wire
ties to fasten it close to in place and allow work to continue in
orbital night; his ERCA was dangling on the return to the Quest
airlock. [Did brushing a stanchion on the way in detach his?]

As the AP reported, back in January Christina Koch lost her head
assembly. Er, the ERCA came loose, and
rather than spend a lot of time on it, she was told to leave it off
and proceed without supplemental illumination.

So far, I haven't found an explanation of the not-so-fast fastening, or
even the method of fastening. But here's a brief overview of the ERCA
system RF configuration:
<URL:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20000084165/downloads/20000084165.pdf>
I did not see a date on this, but references to SSO payload bay suggest
the Shuttle was still in use at the time of writing.

[1] was this their debut? They certainly had the "new car smell" in
what I heard, but I missed the February EVAs:
<URL:https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/world/nasa-spacewalk-rubins-glover-scn/index.html>

/dps

--
As a colleague once told me about an incoming manager,
"He does very well in a suck-up, kick-down culture."
Bill in Vancouver

Snidely suggested that ...
> Even though I've been paying attention to EVAs since the days when Gemini was
> a brand new spacecraft, it appears I'm still a novice. This was highlighted
> during the IROSA spacewalks over the last 9 days.
>
> I could follow along and mostly understand BRT and RET and PGT, but it was
> fuzzy enough that I turned to search engines for clarification. The first
> reference was a very welcome find. Apparently I wasn't following Ars
> Technica in 2013, even though it is now on my Frequent Visit shortlist. The
> article is a visit to Houston to follow astronaut training ... for EVAs.
>
> <URL:https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/03/swimming-with-spacemen/1/>
>
> The ISS's railroad had a part to play in the IROSA spacewalks, but only the
> CETA carts factored into the NASA TV coverage ... the astronauts used it for
> temporary storage, especially when working around the IROSA FSE (Flight
> Support Equipment) or IROSA carrier. The small cart (can I call it a
> handcar?) can be seen in a 2002 picture illustrating a 2015 article:
>
> <URL:https://www.planetary.org/articles/20151218-mt-jams-contingency-spacewalk>
>
> And finally, the spacewalkers' helmet cameras figured in the 3 spacewalks:
> new HD cameras were included in all three (the HECA [1]), and the second walk
> had the "we have a script, but we'll just ad lib here a bit" factor when the
> ERCAs became detached. Shane Kimbrough's started flopping in the middle of
> the EVA. Thomas Pesquet used wire ties to fasten it close to in place and
> allow work to continue in orbital night; his ERCA was dangling on the return
> to the Quest airlock. [Did brushing a stanchion on the way in detach his?]
>
> As the AP reported, back in January Christina Koch lost her head
> assembly. Er, the ERCA came loose, and
> rather than spend a lot of time on it, she was told to leave it off
> and proceed without supplemental illumination.
>
> So far, I haven't found an explanation of the not-so-fast fastening, or even
> the method of fastening. But here's a brief overview of the ERCA system RF
> configuration:
> <URL:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20000084165/downloads/20000084165.pdf>
> I did not see a date on this, but references to SSO payload bay suggest the
> Shuttle was still in use at the time of writing.
>
>
> [1] was this their debut? They certainly had the "new car smell" in what I
> heard, but I missed the February EVAs:
> <URL:https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/world/nasa-spacewalk-rubins-glover-scn/index.html>

Another reference is
<URL:https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/188978main_Working_In_Space.pdf>
which appears to be from 1998.

The scoops in that paper are not the ones in Friday's EVA, though.

/dps "don't you just love nested acronyms and initialisms like IROSA?"

--
Yes, I have had a cucumber soda. Why do you ask?

Snidely is guilty of <mn.cb467e565b2e726c.127094@snitoo> as of
6/25/2021 1:58:29 PM

> Even though I've been paying attention to EVAs since the days when Gemini was
> a brand new spacecraft, it appears I'm still a novice. This was highlighted
> during the IROSA spacewalks over the last 9 days.
>
> I could follow along and mostly understand BRT and RET and PGT, but it was
> fuzzy enough that I turned to search engines for clarification. The first
> reference was a very welcome find. Apparently I wasn't following Ars
> Technica in 2013, even though it is now on my Frequent Visit shortlist. The
> article is a visit to Houston to follow astronaut training ... for EVAs.
>
> <URL:https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/03/swimming-with-spacemen/1/>

Has anyone here found a similar "tour" or at least an overview of the
Russian Orlan suits?

/dps

--
"I'm glad unicorns don't ever need upgrades."
"We are as up as it is possible to get graded!"
_Phoebe and Her Unicorn_, 2016.05.15