NASA approves use of American spacesuits for spacewalks after investigation – Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman

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NASA approves use of American spacesuits for spacewalks after investigation

October 20, 2022 10:14 am Robert Zimmerman

NASA this week gave approval to the resumption of spacewalks on ISS, using its American spacesuits, following its investigation into a March incident where one astronaut’s spacesuit became somewhat water-logged.

The agency has now completed a review of the incident, finding that it was not a leak caused by hardware issues. Instead, the water was condensation caused by high levels of astronaut exertion and the cooling setting on Maurer’s extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit, NASA officials said.

Though NASA was somewhat vague about the solution, it appears it has simply told astronauts to adjust the cooling setting of their suits to prevent condensation within the suits.

These American suits are very complicated to use, and very expensive. The agency has contracted out for new suits from private companies, but it will be very instructive to see what SpaceX comes up with for the spacewalk suits it is making for the private commercial manned Polaris Dawn mission in the spring of 2023.

One comment

pzatchok
October 21, 2022 at 10:12 am
And how long did this revelation take them?

Change your temp setting and wrap a towel around your neck?

Shorten the walk if you see excess water build up.

Could have told them that a year or more ago.

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