Since 1 November 2000, the International Space Station has been manned continuously. Expedition 11 (April to October 2005) consists of (Commander and Soyuz Pilot) Sergei Krikalev, and (Science Officer and Flight Engineer) John Phillips. In the third seat aboard Soyuz was ESA Astronaut, Italian born Roberto Vittori. He spent a week aboard ISS conducting a series of experiement. Soyuz TMA-6 lifted off atop a Starsem booster from Baykonur Cosmodrome on 14 April 2005 at 7:46 PM CDT (00:46 15 April GMT). Orbit was achieved some eitght minutes later.

TMA-6 docked to the station at 9:19 PM CDT on 16 April 2005 (2:19 17 April GMT), prepared for a six month stay. The three men were greeted by Leroy Chiao, and Salizan Sharipov of the 10th Expedition Crew, who had occupied the station since the previous October.

Following a week of joint operations, and handover of command, Expedition 10 along with Vittori, undocked Soyuz TMA-5 and returned home on 24 April.

The Expedition 11 crew hosted the first Space Shuttle flight to ISS since the STS-107/Columbia disaster. STS-114 arrived on 28 July 2005, delivering supplies, effecting repairs and making upgrades. Conducting three EVAs, unloading the Raphaello MPLM, and removing trash and uneeded equipment, STS-114 was a welcome change of pace for the 11 crew. Discovery undocked from ISS for her return home on 6 August, leaving Expedition 11 on their own again.

One EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) was carried out by Expedition 11. This on 18 August 2005, it was mounted from the PIRS docking and airlock compartment in Russian Orlan spacesuits.

A week after the arrival of the Expedition 12 crew aboard ISSy, Expedition 11 undocked and departed ISS in their Soyuz TMA-6 vehicle. They landed safely, along with space tourist Greg Olsen, back in Kazakhstan on 10 October 2005 at 8:09 PM CDT (1:09 11 October GMT). It had been a highly successful six month mission in space.

On 18 August 2005, the two men donned Russian Orlan space suits and mounted the first and only EVA ( Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk ) of their increment aboard the station. This was the 8th career EVA for Krikalev, and the first for Phillips. The hatch of the PIRS docking and airlock module was opened at 2:02 PM CDT (19:02 GMT), which signalled the beginning of the 4 hour 58 minute spacewalk, designated EVA 11a. ( More HERE ) (Russian Report)

This event was the first anomaly observed in the 18 August EVA 11a coverage. Those more familiar with Shuttle operations might suspect this object to be simple ice or common debris. BUT, ISSy doesn't have what NASA Shuttle technicians jokingly refer to as "dandruff".

Water is NOT produced aboard the station as it is on Shuttles. Shuttles derive their electrical energy, and water supplies, from H2 /O2 Fuel Cells. These produce copious amounts of water, and when there's too much, it's unceremoniously dumped overboard.

This is absolutely not the case on the station. It uses passive solar arrays to generate energy from sunlight. Every drop of water used aboard ISSy must be imported from the ground. Visiting Shuttles also contribute water by filling large plastic conainers with the excess from the fuel cells. Water is so precious that even urine is converted back to H2 and O2 via electrolysis, employing a Russian device called Elektron. The oxygen is used for breathing, and the hydrogen jettisonned overboard. So, we have established that there is no source for loose flakes of ice coming from ISSy.

In the case of orbital debris, there simply is none MOST of the time. ISSy has been on orbit for a number of years now, and no new modules or components having loose bits of junk to float away, have been added since 2002. The only source for debris on EVAs would be released by the crew as they manipulate experiments, such as the unwrapping of the Matroshka experiment on this EVA. But that operation didn't come until AFTER this object was seen.

Additionally, the control thrusters aboard ISSy, used for maintaining control of station attitude, were inhibited during the time the crew were on the outside of the Zvezda module. This is for the safety of the spacewalkers themselves. So we can rule out control thruster firings as a factor in the speed and motion of the anomalies seen during ISS EVA 11a.

At one point in the EVA, American Astronaut John Phillips mistakenly believed that Russian Mission Control in Korolyev outside Moscow, had given word that these thrusters had been shut down, and it was safe to venture onto Zvezda. He was held back however, and received a stern rebuke from his more experienced Station Commander, Sergei Krikalev. Phillips was then admonished to "Be More Attentive"!

An example of the firing of one of these thrusters is available HERE.

Let's examine the evidence for this anomaly, OK?

Initially, we will try to orient you to the scene. The two spacewalking crewmen of Expedition 11 are noted for you in Yellow. To the right, standing vertically, is the PIRS docking and airlock compartment. Extending horizontally to the left is the Zvezda service module, and beyond that, the white ring of the instument module, and solar panels of the Progress-18 cargo freighter.

The anomaly is seen within the Yellow circle.