MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russian specialists have developed a prototype of a system that will allow cosmonauts to return to the orbital station in the event of an accidental separation during extravehicular activity, the Izvestia daily reports.
The prototype was developed at Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The development was presented during Russia’s Space Week 2026, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight.
"The device has been implemented as a test bench for calibrating spacecraft positioning systems. It’s a compressed air cylinder with four nozzles positioned at right angles to each other. When gas is released through them, some spin the platform clockwise, while others spin it counterclockwise. This provides momentum for propulsion or braking, accelerating or dampening the rotation," the newspaper quotes Mikhail Zelenov, associate professor at Bauman University’s Vacuum and Compressor Engineering Department.
According to the publication, the development could be further used in cosmonaut evacuation systems. Furthermore, it could be used to create a robotic inspector for remote inspection and photographic recording of the orbital station’s condition.
Space Week
Space Week 2026 is dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s legendary space flight. The emblem is based on the symbolic number 65, the orbit around the Earth, and Gagarin’s famous utterance "Poyekhali" ("Off we go!") The launch of the emblem into space will be a notable event and the official launch of a large-scale program.
The first-ever Russian Space Week is taking place from April 6 to 12, 2026, and is timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s space flight. The decree establishing this annual event was signed by the Russian president on December 29, 2025. Roscosmos is the organizer.
TASS is the media sponsor of Space Week 2026.