Exposed: scenes from a spacewalk

As part of ESA’s Expose-R2 project, 46 species of bacteria, fungi and arthropods were delivered by a Progress supply ship to the International Space Station in July 2014. Spacewalking cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev attached the package to the outside of the Zvezda module on 18 August 2014, where it stayed until it was retrieved 18 months later.

This ‘Expose-R2’ is a miniature photochemistry laboratory that exposes samples to the harsh environment of space. Subjected to the full blast of the Sun’s energy as well as vacuum, radiation and temperature swings, they are helping researchers investigating how chemicals and microbiological life react to unprotected spaceflight – on a comet, for example. Previous Expose experiments have already shown that ‘water bears’ and a species of lichen can survive a trip into space.

This video shows scenes from a spacewalk with cosmonauts Gennadi Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko who were asked to photograph the Expose-R2 facility half-way through its stay in space, 10 August 2015 – the samples had travelled around the world more than 8500 times by then.

Expose-R2 was returned inside the International Space Station Station by Yuri Malenchenko and Sergei Volkov during a spacewalk on 3 February 2016 and stored ahead of return to Earth. The samples were held in sealed compartments and covered to block out all light.
The vacuum of space is sucking out the water, oxygen and other gases in the samples. Their temperature can drop to –12°C as the Station passes through Earth’s shadow, rising to 40°C at other times, and undergoing a similar process to the freeze-drying used to preserve foods.

The Expose series of experiments are exploring the limits of terrestrial life, whether the organisms can survive in space and how the full blast of solar radiation is affecting accompanying chemicals.
Earth is protected from the Sun’s full radiation by our atmosphere filtering out the hard-hitting short wavelengths that are damaging to life. It is difficult to recreate on the ground the full spectrum of the Sun’s light so these experiments in space are the only way to test how biological and material samples behave in conditions beyond Earth.
ESA has a long history of testing organisms and organic chemicals in the harsh environment of space. Previous experiments revealed that lichens and water bears can survive spaceflight unprotected, hinting at the possibility of species colonising planets via meteoroids.

[donnarandolph]

I've watched many space walk vids, and still, I ask the same question, , what do they really do on the walks?? A lot of movement but nothing really getting done....

[MarexKai]

Genuine question. How could they have recorded sound if it's a vacuum?

[dmor]

stop using fisheye lenses, please. we want to see how it looks to the human eye. thanks

[isaacharris]

Absolutely stunning! I hope they enjoyed the swim! 😄

[born.to.rage.against.it.]

It even sounds EXACTLY how cameras sound when scuba divers are swimming.

[beep]

How come I can hear the sounds if it’s in space

[lilyblu]

I wanna know how they explain getting through not one but two radiation belts.

[protodani]

I dont think this is an actual sunlight on these guys, looks like artificial lighting to me

[radagastofrhosgobel]

At 1:17 on the left side of the screen there is a debris moving slowly across from right to left (just behind the yellow tube). All the debris in this footage do not move at the same speed and they fly off in different directions. Now this is strange...

[peterzak]

that's like watching some car mechanics in this days- you pay a lot and they do nothing

[lovenloyalty]

I like how crappy the equiptment is..duct tape cardboard missing screws lol

[DROID.MICHAELS]

HOW in the WORLD can ANYBODY do ANY WORK with those HUMONGOUS GLOVES ON?

[gabrielbarahona]

So what were they doing beside taking the clips on and off? I guess they were finishing up or just getting started.

[oviwankenobi]

Can someone tell me what they're doing? Also, why is there so much debris moving around? (Not straight lines)

[carlose]

Why can’t nasa install a camera in the astronaut helmet. Why can’t he turn around look into space. If you feel the same, start asking questions. You’ll see they will never respond or more likely ignore you.

[ARosas]

With headphones on, playing at the slowest speed, you can hear an air bubble at 1:00 min

[วศินศรกายสิทธิ์-ยข]

Could you bring a glass of water into space cause I really want to see the result of it in zero gravity and pressure

[bn]

700 degrees where they are at. They seem pretty relaxed.

[Big-yhwz]

That tank must be huge, can we come swim!?

[sketflamez]

the title is exposed and on that bag infront of him is written EXPOSE-R