Russian cosmonauts on International Space Station conduct spacewalk

Floating against the bright blue oceans and white clouds of Earth, the astronauts filmed with small handheld cameras, constantly communicating with each other and Russian mission control outside Moscow, in footage broadcast on the website of the Russian space agency. Coverage begins at 9:45AM ET, and can be seen above.

Expedition 44 commander Gennady Padalka and flight engineer Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will wear their spacesuits and exit the station’s Pirs airlock at 19.44 p.m. (IST).

Gap spanners will be mounted on the hull of the station.

These devices will facilitate the movement of crew members on future spacewalks. They’re also scheduled to clean the windows of the Zvezda Service Module, which houses some of the living quarters.

The austronauts will also retrieve The Obstanovka Experiment, which was deployed in 2013.

Monday’s six-hour spacewalk is the 10th for Padalka, who has spent more time in space than any other human. It is his ninth walk in open space, while it is the second for Kornienko, aged 55.

Those curious about the interior of the space station can now go on an excursion through the ISS from the comfort of their himes. A Russian rocket, Progress 59, launched in April and burned up during re-entry in May.

Finally, in July the crew received their supplies when a Russian craft docked at the global Space Station.