NASA cuts spacewalk short after detecting water in astronaut’s helmet

“Popping outside for a walk”, Peake said in a tweet Thursday.

The planned six-hour spacewalk by International Space Station astronauts Tim Peake of the United Kingdom and veteran space walker Tim Kopra was cut short today when Kopra developed a build-up of water in his space helmet due to a spacesuit coolant system malfunction.

“So far, I’m OK”, Kopra assured everyone.

Kopra said the wet spot was about four inches long and two inches high (10 by five centimeters). “I’m doing good”, he repeated.

Shortly after flight director Royce Renfrew at mission control learned that Mr Kopra was feeling dampness in his helmet, he made a decision to cut short the spacewalk. In the meantime, the station relied on seven other power channels. His German ancestors arrived in NY in the colonial period, members of the first group of Palatine Germans who settled in Germantown in the Hudson Valley in 1710.

CO2 sensors have been fitted in the helmets of astronauts since then, and these helped alert Colonel Kopra to the problem. “Wishing you a happy stroll outdoors in the universe”.

This is at least the fourth time an astronaut on a spacewalk has found water inside his or her helmet or suit.

Thankfully, in Kopra’s case, there was only around 15cc of water in the suit, which Peake viewed and described as “less than golfball-size”.

Astronaut Tim Peake has become the first Briton to walk in space, undertaking a tricky mission to replace an electrical unit while under cover of darkness.

As he prepared to exit the air lock at the start of spacewalk, one of Major Peake’s colleagues, Commander Scott Kelly, remarked it was “really cool” to see the Union flag outside. “It’s explored all over the world”.

Replied Peake: “It’s great to be wearing it, a huge privilege, a proud moment”.

The space agency also voiced concerns that the connections may be dirty, so Major Peake has fashioned an instrument out of toothbrush to give them a clean.

Previously, British astronauts have either been privately funded during their missions, or had dual citizenship. The tasks that were left undone can be added to the agenda for future outings. Those pads and safety procedures came in handy Friday. Parmitano’s partner that day, astronaut Chris Cassidy, rushed to Mission Control today after hearing of the setback to offer assistance.

Foale, however, was an astronaut for NASA, not the European program.

NASA stressed that the situation was not an emergency.

Parmitano was at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, during Friday’s spacewalk, answering questions about spacewalking.