Russian cosmonauts for the first time effectively used the European Robotic Arm (ERA) as a means of transport during a spacewalk. According to cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who controlled the mechanism from a console inside the ISS, this saved the crew's energy and time.
According to him, instead of tiring manual movement along handrails, cosmonauts could rest while the robotic arm transported them to the work site. Fedyaev expressed hope that this practice would become standard.
During the mission, the robot successfully delivered the operator to dismantle the "Ekran-M" cassette on the "Nauka" module, while astronauts installed the "Solntse-Teragerts" radio telescope and retrieved the "Biorisk" experiment container from the "Poisk" module.
On May 14, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina practiced tasks for an upcoming spacewalk, including installing the "Teledroid" robot on the Russian segment of the ISS.
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