Space welding anniversary!

[Suzy]

A somewhat obscure anniversary for the 15th is the first electrical welding during an EVA, according to Roskosmos:

Electrical welding was first performed in space 25 years ago by Svetlana Savitskaya and Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Russian cosmonauts. They spent 3.5 hours in outer space cutting and welding pieces of metal. The universal space welding machine was designed by Electrical Welding Institute, Kiev. For more than 10 years, the scinetists were developing this complicated instrument.

Today the cosmonauts involved in this first space welding attempt tell about their experience.

"It was easy due to 0-gravity", says Svetlana Saviskaya. "However, many people thought that we had made a special performance, that we hadn`t been working in space. Like with the first step on the Moon".

"In outer space, with this invisible ray, it was a real miracle", adds VLadimir Dzhanibekov.

The machine was tested deeply, but the developers could not define its behaviour in space precisely.

Specialists of the Kiev institute are still sure that their instrument will be used in future. The first welding in space opened one more page in the space exploration history.

Today Russian cosmonauts and scientists from Kiev recollect their past achievements and the time when Russia and Ukraine were conquering space together...

Also a photo of Svetlana welding, probably the only photo of a female cosmonaut doing an EVA? (From the Capcomespace site)

 

[SiberianTiger]

Svetlana Savitskaya's picture

A postal stamp of Soyuz T-7 - Soyuz T-5 mission

Soyuz T-5 crew strolling in a park one day after their landing (A. Serebrov, S. Savitskaya, L. Popov):

One more funny picture

The welding machine used aboard the Salyut-7 to weld in space:

A postal stamp devoted to Soyuz T-12 mission

Svetlana Savitskaya holding her welding hand tool in company of Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Academician Boris Paton (whose team developed the process):

Soyuz T-12 crew upon return (Igor Volk, V. Dzhanibekov, S. Savitskaya)

Svetlana today in her politician role

---------- Post added at 12:06 ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 ----------

probably the only photo of a female cosmonaut doing an EVA?

If you draw a difference between cosmonauts and astronauts, yes. She was the only female cosmonaut who did an EVA. But she was also the first woman on an EVA.

 

[dougkeenan]

So how does it work?

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Thanks for bringing this to the awareness of those who did not know of this event. I cannot imagine welding in space, it is quite an accomplishment that seems to have gone by unnoticed.

Apart from several questions regarding how melted metal acts in zero gravity, how did they suppress those sudden slag eruptions that would burn a hole right through a spacesuit in a flash? (I know they burn a hole right through my scalp!) What metals did they weld? Did they use some type of metal or tungsten inert gas shielding system?

Does anyone have anymore links related to this?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Thanks for bringing this to the awareness of those who did not know of this event. I cannot imagine welding in space, it is quite an accomplishment that seems to have gone by unnoticed.

Apart from several questions regarding how melted metal acts in zero gravity, how did they suppress those sudden slag eruptions that would burn a hole right through a spacesuit in a flash? (I know they burn a hole right through my scalp!) What metals did they weld? Did they use some type of metal or tungsten inert gas shielding system?

Does anyone have anymore links related to this?

The technology applied then was electron beam welding. They used protective transparent shields and guard on the tool's handle. The metals welded were steel and titanium. They also made experiments with soldering and metal coating using the same tool. I believe this paper explains many things in depth:
http://inside.mines.edu/~pmendez/Publications/Papers/2003_Thesis_Vasilios_Nikou.pdf

By the way, 1st welding experiment in space was undertaken in 1969 aboard Soyuz-6, but that was inside the pressurized volume, not in vacuum. The cosmonauts nearly burned a hole through their orbital module's hull then.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

The technology applied then was electron beam welding. They used protective transparent shields and guard on the tool's handle. The metals welded were steel and titanium. They also made experiments with soldering and metal coating using the same tool. I believe this paper explains many things in depth:
http://inside.mines.edu/~pmendez/Publications/Papers/2003_Thesis_Vasilios_Nikou.pdf

By the way, 1st welding experiment in space was undertaken in 1969 aboard Soyuz-6, but that was inside the pressurized volume, not in vacuum. The cosmonauts nearly burned a hole through their orbital module's hull then.

How long it took to cool the joint enough for it to "solidify" in a no atmosphere environment was another of the points that had me curious, as that has a direct result on the properties of the weld joint (granulation, tempering, normalizing, etcetera).

Excellent document. Thank you so much!

 

[CaliBuddha]

Do they still use Electron Beam Welding in space these days?

 

[Eagle]

Do they still use Electron Beam Welding in space these days?

I believe they attempt to avoid welding in space.

 

[CaliBuddha]

I dont believe this is true... They are doing more welding in space now than ever.

I just need to know if they still use the same technology and if it has a new name...

 

[Artlav]

I dont believe this is true... They are doing more welding in space now than ever.

Assembling is not necessarily welding. As far as i know, all of ISS assembly is pushing buttons and screwing bolts.

 

[CaliBuddha]

My welding instructor seems to think its a fairly regular thing being done...

I guess nobody knows for sure.

 

[Keatah]

the guys at nasa know, the guys that make the welding tools used in space know..