“The spacesuit is uncomfortable”; Extravehicular activity on the International Space Station was postponed at the last minute Forbes Japan official website (Forbes Japan)

If you're going to be doing hard work outside the International Space Station (ISS) for six and a half hours, you want your spacesuit to be comfortable. A spacewalk scheduled to begin by two NASA astronauts on June 13 was canceled at the last minute. The spacewalk “did not go as planned due to discomfort issues with the spacesuit.”NASAThis came in a statement, without providing further details about this issue.

Astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominik were tasked with removing a malfunctioning electronic device called a radio frequency array from a communications antenna. They also had to collect samples to analyze how microorganisms live outside the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson (NASA)

Dyson has done three spacewalks in the past. It was to be Dominic's first spacewalk.

The EVA was conducted as usual. Live coverage of the preparations on NASA TV showed two astronauts wearing spacesuits moving their arms and legs as part of pre-breathing to prevent decompression sickness.

At some point, the space station's ground team received a request from an astronaut for “special medical advice.” “Astronauts have the opportunity to speak with a flight doctor several times a week, and of course, doctors are there during strenuous activities like spacewalks,” said Lee, who hosted the live broadcast. NASA suspended spacewalks shortly after this consultation.

NASA's spacesuits for the International Space Station are officially called Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs). The number of EMUs installed on the ISS is limited. The suit's design is based on the era of the Space Shuttle program more than 40 years ago.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir (NASA) performs an extravehicular activity.

NASA is developing a next-generation spacesuit, but it has not yet been put into practical use. “The new spacesuit addresses some of the obsolescence issues facing EMU today and takes advantage of all the new technologies that were not available 50 years ago, including improved maneuverability and innovations in life support systems.” and Director of NASA's Human Extravehicular and Surface Mobility Program.Lara CarneyHe was speaking in 2023 when partner Collins Aerospace unveiled a new spacesuit design. Until then, the astronauts will have to make do with what they have.

Problems with spacesuits have led to the cancellation of spacewalks in the past. In 2019, the first planned all-female spacewalk was canceled due to issues with the suit's size. Available spacesuits were limited in size and could not meet the size needs of the astronauts. The first all-female spacewalk occurred that same year, when NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir teamed up to perform repair work outside the International Space Station. NASA is also addressing water and moisture issues inside spacesuit helmets.

NASA had scheduled three spacewalks in June, but the postponement prompted them to reconsider their schedule.

(Forbes.com original text)