NASA greenlights spacewalks again after March water incident

October 19, 2022

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After a seven-month hiatus, NASA spacewalks exterior the Worldwide House Station (ISS) are again on.

NASA halted routine spacewalks after European House Company (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer observed a higher-than-normal buildup of water inside his helmet after an almost seven-hour tour on March 23.

The company has now accomplished a assessment of the incident, discovering that it was not a leak brought on by {hardware} points. As a substitute, the water was condensation brought on by excessive ranges of astronaut exertion and the cooling setting on Maurer’s extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit, NASA officers mentioned.

Associated: Spacewalks: How they work and major milestones

With this info in hand, the company has authorised the resumption of routine spacewalks, with the following one set to happen in mid-November.

“Crew security is the highest precedence of NASA and our worldwide companions,” Kathy Lueders, affiliate administrator for NASA’s House Operations Mission Directorate, said in a statement on Tuesday (opens in new tab) (Oct. 18). “I am happy with the space station and floor groups’ work to maintain our crew members secure, for taking the time needed to shut out the investigation and for frequently findings methods to mitigate dangers in human spaceflight.”

The investigation ate up a lot time partly as a result of it took some time to get Maurer’s spacewalk gear again on Earth for evaluation.

Water samples and a few spacesuit {hardware} got here down on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 30, and on the Dragon capsule that flew SpaceX’s Crew-3 astronaut mission, which ended on Might 6, NASA officers mentioned. However Maurer’s EMU swimsuit did not land till Aug. 20, aboard the Dragon that flew SpaceX’s CRS-25 robotic cargo mission to the International Space Station.

Detailed examine of this {hardware} led to a prognosis, in addition to a repair that NASA is comfy with.

“Primarily based on the findings, the staff has up to date operational procedures and developed new mitigation {hardware} to attenuate eventualities the place built-in efficiency leads to water accumulation, whereas absorbing any water that does seem,” NASA officers wrote within the Tuesday replace. “These measures will assist include any liquid within the helmet to proceed to maintain crew secure.”

Tuesday’s weblog put up didn’t give additional particulars in regards to the up to date procedures or mitigation {hardware}.

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer factors the digicam towards himself and takes a “space selfie” throughout a spacewalk on March 23, 2022. (Picture credit score: NASA/ESA)

Maurer’s expertise known as to thoughts one other spacewalk marked by a buildup of water within the helmet — that of ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano in July 2013.

Parmitano handled far more water, nevertheless; it coated most of his face, inflicting the astronaut to chop his spacewalk brief and retreat again contained in the orbiting lab. (This was a probably harmful scenario. Water clings to your face in microgravity, making it very tough to breathe. And you may’t simply wipe it away when it is inside your spacesuit helmet.)

There was a one other huge distinction, too: The water in Parmitano’s helmet got here from a leak, not condensation.

An investigation into the July 2013 incident traced the leak to “inorganic supplies inflicting blockage of the drum holes” in an EMU water separator. In consequence, water spilled right into a vent loop and made its means into the astronaut’s helmet.

NASA halted non-urgent spacewalks again then as nicely, till it had a deal with on the problems that brought on Parmitano’s drawback.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano works on the International Space Station in a July 16, 2013 spacewalk. A little more than one hour into the spacewalk, Parmitano reported water floating behind his head inside his helmet. The water was not an immediate health hazard for Parmitano, but Mission Control decided to end the spacewalk early. This image was released July 16, 2013.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano works on the Worldwide House Station throughout a July 16, 2013 spacewalk, which was lower brief when he reported water inside his helmet. (Picture credit score: NASA)

Throughout his March 23 spacewalk, Maurer labored with NASA astronaut Raja Chari to prep the orbiting lab for set up of latest iROSA solar arrays.

The following spacewalk, focused for mid-November, will proceed the iROSA (brief for “ISS rollout solar arrays”) work, as will two extra excursions to observe, NASA officers mentioned.

Mike Wall is the writer of “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a ebook in regards to the seek for alien life. Comply with him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Comply with us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).

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