Spacewalk Predicament Intensifies: NASA Struggles with ISS Spacesuit Woes
Updated Article:
Spacewalk Canceled: NASA's Old Spacesuits Malfunction Again
NASA astronauts faced another setback during a planned spacewalk as a malfunction with an aged spacesuit forced a cancelation. Last Monday, astronaut Tracy Dyson reported a water leak in her suit's service and cooling umbilical unit, causing the outing to be postponed.
During the live feed from the International Space Station (ISS), Dyson expressed her concerns, pointing at the water leak that posed potential risks to other astronauts. This spacewalk was the second such incident within a week; the previous one was called off on June 13 due to "space suit discomfort issues."
The two astronauts, Dyson and Mike Barratt, were about to leave the airlock when the issue arose, prompting the airlock to be re-pressurized to prevent a vacuum exposure. Thankfully, the astronauts were safe.
Currently, the astronauts are conducting procedure reviews, troubleshooting the spacesuit malfunction, and inspecting its components. NASA has scheduled another spacewalk for July 2, subject to the ongoing investigation.
NASA astronauts have been using spacesuits more than 40 years old, and the agency is in desperate need of a major upgrade. The ISS only has 18 usable suits available for its astronauts, according to a 2017 report.
To address this issue, NASA partnered with Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace last year to build new spacesuits worth a potential combined value of $3.5 billion. However, Collins Aerospace recently announced its intention to drop out of the contract, causing uncertainty for NASA's planned spacesuit transformation.
Spacewalks outside the ISS were temporarily halted in May 2022 following a series of potentially life-threatening incidents involving water leaks. NASA resumed spacewalks after an investigation into the leaks, but issues persist with the aging spacesuits.
Back in 2013, an ESA astronaut, Luca Parmitano, experienced a water leak inside his helmet, forcing an early end to the spacewalk. Two years later, astronaut Terry Virts encountered free-floating water droplets and a damp absorption pad in his helmet following a spacewalk.
In January 2019, NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel released a report indicating the increasing challenges of the current spacesuits and the need for fully functional EVA suits for ongoing low-Earth orbit operations. NASA is actively collaborating with commercial providers like Axiom Space to design and build advanced spacesuits for future lunar missions.
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[1] Artemis program delays (Link)[2] Boeing Starliner setbacks (Link)[3] NASA spacesuit development partnerships (Link)[4] Evolution of spacesuit technologies (Link)
- The ongoing troubleshooting and inspection of NASA's aging spacesuits are crucial to ensure safety for astronauts, in light of the recent malfunctions seen in more than 40-year-old spacesuits.
- The cancellation of the NASA spacewalk highlights the need for advanced technology in space suits, as the current ones have been causing issues such as water leaks that put astronauts and the mission at risk.
- NASA's partnership with Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to develop new spacesuits, worth a potential combined value of $3.5 billion, is a significant step towards addressing the safety concerns posed by the current spacesuits.
- However, with Collins Aerospace dropping out of the contract, the future of NASA's planned spacesuit transformation is uncertain, adding to the challenges of ensuring safety and success for future space missions.
