NASA suspends spacewalks after water leaks in astronaut’s helmet | NOW

NASA has temporarily suspended all spacewalks due to an issue with spacesuits aboard the International Space Station, reports SpaceNews† A helmet worn by an astronaut filled with a layer of water earlier this year.

The leak originated during the March 23 last spacewalk of astronauts Raja Chari and Matthias Maurer. At the end of the nearly seven-hour ride, Maurer reported water in his helmet.

Because it was a small layer of water, there was no immediate danger for him. Yet NASA is not reassured. The space agency wants to fix the problem before further spacewalks are performed. Until then, suits should only be used in an emergency.

Earlier this week, NASA said it had no idea how the water got into the helmet. The space agency is currently studying this question. However, this is only really possible when the suits have returned to Earth. This should happen in early June.

This is not the first time that water has found its way into an astronaut’s helmet. It also happened to Luca Parmitano in 2013. The astronaut was not injured, but after the walk NASA said his vision and breathing were impaired. Parmitano survived the incident at the time because he remained calm, the space agency said earlier.