Copernical Team
NASA cancels spacewalk at ISS over 'spacesuit discomfort issue'
A spacewalk scheduled for two astronauts outside the International Space Station was canceled by NASA about an hour before it was to begin Thursday morning.
"The spacewalk today, June 13, at the International Space Station did not proceed as scheduled due to a spacesuit discomfort issue," NASA said on its blog. No other details were immediately given.
"The spacewalk today, June 13, with NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick at the International Space Station will not be proceeding as scheduled," NASA said.
NASA said Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick, the astronauts scheduled for the space walk, started taking off their spacesuits at approximately 7:25 am EDT, about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the ISS through an airlock.
Dyson and Dominick's spacewalk was supposed to include station maintenance and science work.
In announcing the spacewalk, NASA said two astronauts would remove some communications equipment from one of the ISS's laboratory modules with assistance from a robotic arm on the station. Dyson and Dominick were also going to swab surfaces on the ISS to "determine if microorganisms released through station vents can survive the external microgravity environment.
Space weather forecasting needs an upgrade to protect future Artemis astronauts
NASA has set its sights on the moon, aiming to send astronauts back to the lunar surface by 2026 and establish a long-term presence there by the 2030s. But the moon isn't exactly a habitable place for people.
Cosmic rays from distant stars and galaxies and solar energetic particles from the sun bombard the surface, and exposure to these particles can pose a risk to human health.
Both galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles, are high-energy particles that travel close to the speed of light.
While galactic cosmic radiation trickles toward the moon in a relatively steady stream, energetic particles can come from the sun in big bursts. These particles can penetrate human flesh and increase the risk of cancer.
Earth has a magnetic field that provides a shield against high-energy particles from space. But the moon doesn't have a magnetic field, leaving its surface vulnerable to bombardment by these particles.
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Astronauts set for spacewalk: Starliner crew staying at ISS longer
A pair of NASA astronauts are scheduled to do a 6.5 hour spacewalk on the morning of June 13 outside the International Space Station.
At 8 a.m. Eastern time, astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick are expected to enter the vacuum of space to perform station maintenance and science work.
NASA said the two will remove some communications equipment from one of the ISS' laboratory modules, getting help from a robotic arm on the station. Astronauts Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps will be maneuvering the Canadarm2 to assist Dyson and Dominick in their work.
Then, Dyson and Dominick will move on to a science experiment involving microorganisms. They will swab surfaces on the ISS to "determine if microorganisms released through station vents can survive the external microgravity environment," NASA said in a statement.
NASA TV will begin its spacewalk broadcast at 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Live coverage will air on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency's website.
Among those watching the spacewalk up close will be Butch Whitmore and Suni Williams, the crew of the Boeing Starliner which launched from the Kennedy Space Center on June 5 en route to the ISS.
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Apex secures $95M in Series B Funding to Scale Satellite Bus Production
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