NASA to resume ISS spacewalks in 2025 after spacesuit leak

On October 30, 2024By Karl

NASA plans to resume spacewalks on the space station in 2025 after a leaky spacesuit suspended those activities in June.

“We are planning our next set early next year,” said Operations and Integration Manager Bill Spetch. NASA‘s International Space Station He mentioned spacewalks at a press conference held on October 25 following the end of the (ISS) program. SpaceXMission of Crew-8 to the orbiting complex.

connecting a seal and hub space suit He added that the suit on the ISS was replaced and the affected suit was successfully re-pressurised. Spetch stated that spacewalks are planned between the arrivals and departures of spacecraft and astronaut research activities, and said, “It is just a matter of when the timing is right.”

NASA has indefinitely suspended all ISS spacewalks in a spacesuit after an incident involving astronaut Tracy Dyson. brief coolant leak June 24, before leaving the hatch of the space station. (Russia, the space station’s other majority partner, uses an independent set of spacesuits known as Orlan.)

Relating to: NASA postpones ISS spacewalks indefinitely to investigate spacesuit coolant leak

Dyson and fellow NASA astronaut Mike Barratt opened the door to a 6.5-hour maintenance-focused spacewalk. But minutes later ice particles exploded From a spacesuit connection to the ISS.

NASA said astronauts were never in danger and spacewalk missions were not immediately needed.

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NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson is photographed in her spacesuit on June 24, 2024, before the start of a spacewalk that ended after just 31 minutes due to coolant leaking from the suit’s belly. (Image credit: NASA)

“We’ll look for the next opportunity for where we want to do the spacewalk. It’s not time critical or urgent, and so we’ll find the best, logical place to put it,” station program manager Dana Weigel said. NASA told reporters: in a teleconference On July 17.

Dyson’s suit was one of NASA’s extravehicular mobility units (EMUs) first designed and used in the 1970s. space shuttle The program of the 1980s. The suit has a long flight legacy, including helping build and service the ISS. Hubble Space Telescope.

Parts of the EMU can be replaced as needed, but the suit design has still experienced several coolant leaks in recent years. For example, NASA suspended spacewalks. seven months After water was discovered in a spacesuit helmet in March 2022. In a more notable incident in July 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano’s helmet was spotted. fill with water While doing a spacewalk, it required research and solutions.

NASA is asking the private sector to contribute new spacesuits for various programs: low Earth orbit activities. EMU biased towards larger and male sizes Given that it was designed half a century ago, when male astronauts (drafted from the male-dominated military) formed NASA’s corps.

Collins Aerospace was expected to offer newer ISS suits, but withdrew from his contract in June because the expected timeline “did not support the space station’s schedule and NASA’s mission objectives.” At the time, NASA confirmed the contract would end but did not announce next steps.

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