NASA has rescheduled a planned spacewalk from the International Space Station due to a non-emergency medical issue involving one of the crew members. For the unaware, living in space takes its toll on the mind and body. The most dangerous one is the risk of radiation exposure, which can lead to degenerative diseases, radiation sickness, cancer, and severe effects on the central nervous system. Plus, long-term survival in microgravity leads to a reduction in muscle mass, bone loss, change in sensorimotor skills, and fluid shifts.
Then there is the after-effect of living in a closed environment which itself can alter the immune system and poses the risk of exposure to contaminants, immune system changes, sleep deprivation, and behavioral changes just to name a few. And on top of that, staying thousands of miles away from the Earth means there are challenges associated with proper medical care and chances of equipment failure, too. Needless to say, NASA conducts long-term simulated environment tests to assess if candidates can handle those space challenges.
It is, therefore, unsurprising to see that when one of the astronauts scheduled for a spacewalk started having health issues, NASA had to postpone the event as a safety measure. The space agency mentioned in its announcement that NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei had some medical issues, which led to the deferment of his planned spacewalk alongside Akihiko Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Thankfully, this is not a medical emergency, which is a sign that Vande Hei should recover soon for another spacewalk. On a related note, Russia recently alleged that a NASA astronaut — in a state of psychosis — drilled a hole in the space station earlier this month, further highlighting the issue of astronaut health in space.
A Minor Health Issue, But Mission Is Still On Track
Explaining why it had to cancel the spacewalk planned for August 24, NASA explained that it was not time-sensitive and can be performed at a later date. Vande Hei later tweeted that he had a pinched nerve in his neck that led to the spacewalk getting rescheduled. NASA is yet to announce a date for the next spacewalk, but Vande Hei notes that he’s looking forward to installing the IROS Mod kit during the next spacewalk. In the meanwhile, the rest of the crew members will follow their scheduled station work and activities plan. But with so many health risks associated with living in space, it goes without saying that astronauts need to be in the best shape, both physically and mentally, to leave the space station and go around fixing things or collecting crucial data while floating outside the spacecraft.
The next soonest spacewalk won't happen before August 28, which is the mission date for the SpaceX CRS-23 cargo resupply launch. Moreover, there are a few spacewalks planned for Russian astronauts, which also need to be factored in while scheduling the next NASA spacewalk. On a positive note, NASA’s Hubble telescope recently helped discover a couple of anomalies — a ‘ghost galaxy’ almost devoid of dark matter and a comet that is said to have passed the Earth some 5,000 years ago on its extraordinary trip around the sun.
Source: NASA