An EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity or space walk) was mounted on 3 August 2004 from the Russian built PIRS airlock and docking module. The crew, Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka (Commander), and Astronaut Mike Fincke (Flight Engineer/Science Officer) performed this EVA wearing Russian made Orlan spacesuits. The last two EVAs, on 24 and 30 June, were also made with these suits.

The purpose of this EVA was to recover and replace several on-going experiments, and to make some modifications to the docking equipment at the aft end of the Zvezda service module of ISS. These modifications were made to accommodate the new ESA (European Space Agency) ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) to be launched for the first time in 2005. This robotic craft will operate in similar fashion to the current Progress cargo craft bringing supplies to ISS. The difference is that the new ESA craft will carry a much larger payload than the [Soyuz-based] Progress, in production and use since 1978.

This EVA lasted four and a half hours. The sad thing about it is that of all that time, only 12 minutes and 24 seconds featured live actual views of the crew at work in space, beginning about 52 minutes after the airlock hatch was opened. That’s IT! 12 minutes 24 seconds. The rest of the time was mostly devoted to heavy use of 3D computer animation, and monotonous views of Mission Control Houston, and it’s Russian counterpart outside Moscow in Korylev.

There were six brief exceptions to this rule. Four of these were as seen in the still shot prepared from video, included below.

There is reason to believe that at least SOME of these views were still shots. One can’t be sure, but this is as bad an angle as is possible during an EVA where the crew are on not only the far side of the solar panels, but on the other side of the service module as well. I must wonder WHY this was considered a valid camera angle for spacewalk coverage. This isn’t coverage; it’s avoidance! There were at least TWO cameras, mounted at the end and elbow on the Canadian built Canadarm II, with a perfect panoramic view to catch almost all of the action. But this option was only used for the single 12 ½ minute segment showing the two brave spacemen at work. Once again, this situation begs the question…WHY?

There was one other view provided. And there was something fishy about this too. At roughly the hour and a half mark for the EVA, was this horribly “snowy” night shot which lasted a mere three minutes. It was so masked with “snow” that one couldn’t make out anything in the field of view.

Now, “The plot thickens”. Some two orbits, and about three hours later, we were treated to indoor views of the Unity Node, and Destiny Laboratory with hatches closed for safety whilst the crew were outside and the station uninhabited. Below are the two CRYSTAL CLEAR shots of the interior of these modules, beamed from the exact same location on the globe.

We have established that NASA restricted the actual live downlink coverage of the Expedition 9 crew at work outside the station, and further manipulated the angles, and views we had later. The public is probably lucky to get ANY coverage of the 3 August EVA at all. The previous EVA, for repairs to the station itself, was PRE-EMPTED COMPLETELY. We will now delve into what happened during the lone 12 ½ minutes allowed to the public, and a conversation between crew and ground which seems aimed at discrediting words uttered during the February spacewalk by the Expedition 8 Crew.

Two anomalous objects made their appearance during this short segment. One HAS to wonder if their presence was the reason for cutting off all further live downlink from a useful angle, or without a heavy mask of artificial “snow”. The first of these anomalies manifested itself at roughly the 58-minute mark in the EVA, and about 7 minutes into the downlink segment. See it below.

The second of these observed anomalies was seen less than two minutes later; at just about the one-hour mark in the time the crew were outdoors. We continue on to this event.

Next we will see a still frame depicting the direction of motion for this object. It was horizontal to the field of view, which precludes any possibility that its origin was from the station itself.

So…at this point we have established that there were unaccounted for objects seen in the vicinity of ISS during the early part of the EVA. They were seen less than two minutes apart, and near the beginning of the one and only live downlink offered to the public of this spacewalk. Why was the live coverage suspended after the appearance of these two anomalies? Is something being hidden? There seems to be no good reason to refuse to show what the American taxpayers, and 15 international partners are funding. It’s OUR space station. We have a RIGHT to see what happens up there.

We will now move on to examine a most curious exchange between the Expedition 9 crew, and ground control in Korylev, Russia. Taken on its own, the words mean very little other than chatter during a delicate operation. However, when juxtaposed with the words of Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri of Expedition 8 during the EVA of February, they appear to be aimed at dissipating controversy. Here is a trans-script of the conversation. It is as accurate as possible, considering that some of the words were a bit garbled. Please read it carefully, especially the portion concerning “Dinosaur Scissors”.

(K) = Korylev = MCC Moscow – sometimes “Vladia”

(P) = Padalka also “Genna”

(F) = Fincke also “Michael”

(C) = Crewman – When Certain Identity Unknown

(C) They are diminishing in numbers to the right. 2711 then 2720 and 2726 to the left and the numbers are diminishing.

(K) Yes, the numbers are diminishing. Don’t pay any attention to that, you are on the right way.

(C) How about that? It’s interesting labelling. Thank you.

(C) And they put the labels on the other side…FROM the other side.

(K) OK, now it’s clear. That’s understood.

(F) Vladimir, the KROMKA payload is open, it is deployed, and it is all nominal.

(K) Copy Michael, thank you.

(F) When I take pictures, you will have a chance to see that.

(K) OK, thank you Michael. Please stay on those handrails, and you can do…we can deal with (garbled)…not have anything hanging from it. (garbled) bundle.

(P) Well, I’m opening the valve…the FLAP.

(K) Copy Genna.

(P) I have opened the flap…and done with the (garbled).

(K) Good news. Copy.

(P) And yes, you are right. We need the “Dinosaur Scissors”. How copy?

(K) Yes, copy Genna. But you have the “Dinosaur Scissors”?

(P) Yes, of course. No other way. I have everything.

(P) And just a second ago, pulled the “Dinosaur” out of the casing.

(F) Well, I have cut one of them…the other.

(K) Copy. Michael, how is it going?

(F) Excellent.

(K) Good.

(P) 139 pressure and Oxygen bottle about 340.

(K) Copy Genna. Pressure about 139 and about 340.

(F) And mine is about 139 and 350.

(K) Copy Michael. 139 – 350.

(C) Well, I have got…wires, and I’m re-installing the “Dinosaurs”…done.

(F) Genna, sorry. And the covered clips.

(K) Have you cut the wires?

(C) No, thank you.

(K) A late reminder.

(C) Well, the “Dinosaur Scissors” are in the case…is in…the tool is in the casing, but I’ll…

(K) Understood.

(C) OK, but I have done it without the “Dinosaur Scissors”, without cutting the wires. I just moved the wires to the side, and they can be removed easily. So we are on the right way. So I’m, they [are] mating, and they are connected. How copy?

(K) Copy. How’d it go to the mating connector?

(C) Removed and…they mating!

(C) Done! They mated. I’m closing the flap. One is closed.

(K) Copy.

(K) Genna, and the smaller part of the connector is to be put into the same clip, but the major part of it into the side one, where the covers were… where the flap was.

(C) Oh, understood. Very good Vladia.

(C) OK, Vladia, I need to use the “Dinosaur Scissors” again. How copy?

(K) Copy.

(C) You were right. I have removed the caps, but to stow them, I need to cut out the wires on the clip.

(C) My hand doesn’t get in there.

(K) That’s a bottleneck, right?

(C) Yes, it’s very narrow. The left one is not handy, but can’t manage to work it on the right one. I’ll try to do it from the left-hand side once again. Ok, now it’s good.

(K) Copy

Please take note how many times Cosmonaut Padalka asks mission control “How Copy” after mentioning the tool. Also you might notice that he refers to “Dinosaur SCISSORS” as opposed to “Dinosaurs”. Next we will see an exact trans-script of the “Dinosaurs” exchange between Cosmonaut Kaleri and Russian ground controllers at Korylev. Please pay especially close attention to this. Compare the usage, and Kaleri’s element of surprise at these “Dinosaurs”, and how mission control was also caught unawares, and advises him to “LET THEM BE WITH YOU”.

Kaleri – So, dinosaurs are needed here. You can’t do…can’t do anything without them.

Korylev – Say it again??

Kaleri – I say when the dinosaur is here. Yes! I have them here! (Pause for several seconds) Uh…these are with me now!

Korylev – Yes. Let them be with you. Understood.

(Several Minutes Later)

Foale – (garbled)…Sasha is attaching the dinosaurs now…

Did you notice the difference in context and meaning? Does it not appear to you that the reference to “Dinosaur Scissors” was contrived, and perhaps even scripted before this EVA began? The fact is there is not now, nor ever has been, any reference to “Dinosaurs” or “Dinosaur Scissors” in the ISS acronym files. In addition, this writer has NEVER seen nor heard any reference to this word before in over 40 years of observing manned space flight. It has also never turned up before in the many years this writer watched the activities of Space Station Mir.

It is my considered opinion that the “forced” reference to “Dinosaur Scissors” in the latest ISSy EVA was deliberately included to counteract the slip made by Cosmonaut Kaleri in February 2004. I strongly suspect that, at least until now, “Dinosaur” was the Russian Cosmonaut’s code word for UFO, much as US Astronauts used “Santa Claus” in the same way during space flights of the 1960s.