Two NASA astronauts were preparing to exit the International Space Station (ISS) for their second spacewalk, but the mission was canceled again amid concerns about a malfunction in their spacesuits.
NASA was forced to abort a spacewalk on Monday after astronaut Tracy Dyson’s spacesuit’s maintenance and cooling system developed a leak. “There’s water everywhere,” Dyson was heard saying during a live broadcast from the ISS, pointing to a surprising failure of the space station’s aging spacesuits that has endangered other astronauts in the past. NASA is in desperate need of new spacesuits for its astronauts, but unfortunately the company contracted to design the suits has backed out of the contract.
The two astronauts, Dyson and Mike Barratt, hadn’t yet emerged from the airlock when the problem occurred, but as they were heading into the vacuum of space, the airlock needed to be repressurized. Thankfully, the astronauts were unharmed.
This was the second spacewalk to be postponed within a week due to spacesuit issues. Another spacewalk was canceled on June 13 due to “spacesuit discomfort issues,” according to NASA.
Astronauts aboard the ISS Spacesuit malfunction inspection proceduresThe problem is being fixed and parts of the suit inspected, and the next spacewalk is scheduled for July 2 while the investigation continues.
It is clear that NASA astronauts need new spacesuits. The current spacesuits are 40 years old A major upgrade is overdue. The space agency also appears to be running out of fully functional spacesuits aboard the ISS, with a 2017 report saying there are currently only 18 operational spacesuits available for astronauts aboard the space station. report.
May 2022, NASA Aborted spacewalk outside the International Space Station Following a series of potentially fatal accidents in which water leaked onto astronauts’ helmets during spacewalks, NASA astronaut Raja Chari and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer were installing hoses on the Radiator Beam Valve Module outside the space station on March 23, 2022, when Maurer, who was attempting his first spacewalk, noticed water and moisture on the inside of his visor toward the end of the seven-hour spacewalk.
“NASA is reviewing the risk profile of these aging spacesuits, [spacesuit] “All planned spacewalks have currently been suspended pending a complete review of what was discovered,” Susan Helms, a former NASA astronaut and member of the agency’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Board, said at the time. International Space Station spacewalks resume This was shortly after an investigation into the leak was launched.
This was not the first incident involving excess water. In 2013, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano noticed a leak inside his helmet. Parmitano was able to re-enter the station’s airlock, but found that 1.5 litres of water had built up in his helmet, making it difficult for him to breathe. “I could feel the foam in my earphones covered in water and was worried that the audio would cut out. The front of my visor was almost completely covered in water and stuck together, blocking my vision,” a horrified Parmitano said. Blog Post later.
The same spacesuit worn by Parmitano nearly drowned another astronaut two years later. NASA astronaut Terry Bartz, who wore Spacesuit No. 3005, I noticed the free-floating droplets of water. At the end of the spacewalk, he placed moisture-absorbing pads in his helmet.
NASA is working with private partners to develop new spacesuits for astronauts on the ISS, but the process is taking longer than expected. Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace contract The spacesuits, worth a total of $3.5 billion, were scheduled to debut in 2025, but Collins Aerospace is backing out of the contract, SpaceNews reports. report on wednesday.
“After a thorough evaluation, Collins Aerospace and NASA have agreed to reduce the scope of the Exploration Extravehicular Action Services (xEVAS) task order,” the company said in a statement to SpaceNews. It is unclear how NASA will proceed next.
in report In a report released in January 2019, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Committee looked at the growing challenges of space suits. “It is an undeniable fact that the 40-year-old spacesuits used to operate the International Space Station are nearing the end of their useful life,” the report stated. “NASA cannot continue necessary low-Earth orbit operations without fully functional spacesuits.”
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