Produced by: Tarun Mishra
NASA had to cancel the planned spacewalk by astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick less than an hour before they were set to exit the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.
The cancellation was due to a discomfort issue with the spacesuit, which led to the decision to halt the spacewalk.
Dyson and Dominick had begun suiting up and were scheduled to exit the Quest airlock around 6:25 a.m. CDT to spend over 6 hours working outside the ISS.
Credit: NASA
NASA announced that about an hour before the planned start, the astronauts began taking off their spacesuits due to the issue.
"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 stated.
Credit: NASA
The spacewalk, designated US EVA 90, was intended to last approximately 6.5 hours. Tasks included removing a faulty electronics box from a communications antenna and collecting samples from the ISS exterior.
This was set to be the fourth spacewalk for veteran astronaut Dyson and the first for Dominick in support of station operations and maintenance.
Credit: NASA
NASA has not yet announced when the spacewalk will be rescheduled. The agency will aim to resolve the spacesuit issue and find the next available opportunity to carry out the planned tasks.
Two more spacewalks by US astronauts, designated EVA 91 and 92, are currently scheduled for June 24 and July 2. NASA will provide updates on crew assignments and rescheduling plans in the coming days.