Spacewalks are (still) a thing of the past

NASA has always been hesitant to do spacewalks, but it’s even stopping now. An astronaut on the International Space Station wore a helmet in which a layer of water formed.

Although this incident dates back some time, NASA has chosen to temporarily suspend spacewalks. The leak happened to Matthias Maurer, who hiked on March 23 with fellow astronaut Raja Chari. Seven hours later, his helmet was found to contain water. A little diaper probably won’t hurt, but a leak in an astronaut’s helmet is always a big deal.

Take a spacewalk

After all, an astronaut must be able to rely on the proper functioning of the helmet. The pressure, temperature and other facets existing in space can aggravate the leak, with all the consequences that entails. Reason for NASA to stop walkways and provide a solution for spacesuits on the ISS first.

The plan now is to send the spacesuits to Earth in June, repair them and return them to the space station. Until then, spacewalks can only be performed on the ISS in an emergency. Think, for example, of a problem outside the ISS that needs an immediate solution.

another leak

It is interesting that this leakage problem occurs. It is not the first time. It was in 2013 when Luca Parmitano went through a needle’s eye on a ride where so much water entered the helmet that breathing became more difficult and vision rapidly diminished. Parmitano wasn’t hurt further, but it seems the problem with the ISS suit is, well, the same sheet and the same suit.

In any case, SpaceX will keep a close eye on the news of this shortcoming. It wants to be the first commercial enterprise to make spacewalks possible. However, such extra-vehicular activity is a lot of work. Literally and figuratively: people on earth must help to heal and check if the walk is going well. So it’s not just a detour for fun. Spacewalks always have a purpose, like making repairs or doing research.

Safety line

The suit is essential, because as humans we cannot survive in space. The cold, the different air, but above all the pressure on the body: it doesn’t take long before you die in space, when your suit is torn, for example. Partly for this reason, a leak in a helmet is also quite scary. This is why spacewalks are mainly performed in which the astronaut is attached to the spacecraft with a safety line and he does not move freely in space with his own thrusters. Astronauts in space are not only extremely intelligent, they are also rare, which makes handling them with care very important.

SpaceX’s first spacewalk is yet to come. The Polaris Dawn mission will begin in the first quarter of 2023 with four astronauts spending five days in space. However, only one astronaut is allowed to walk around and that is Jared Isaacman, a billionaire who helps pay for the party. The exact purpose of this mission has not yet been determined.

As long as it can be done safely, because even seasoned NASA still sometimes has problems, like now. It is hoped that there will be no emergency on the ISS and that the suits can be quickly repaired for further spacewalks.