Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Credit: NASA Johnson
NASA clarified a misunderstanding after simulation audio concerning an astronaut in distress was mistakenly broadcasted on NASA's public livestream, sparking erroneous reports of an emergency aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
On Wednesday night, NASA issued a statement confirming that the audio broadcast at approximately 5:28 p.m. CDT was from a ground simulation, not an actual emergency involving ISS crew members.
The broadcasted simulation involved a flight surgeon advising on procedures for treating decompression sickness in an astronaut, including recommendations for immediate spacesuit re-entry and oxygen therapy.
Credit: NASA
The simulation audio, lasting about eight minutes, inadvertently made its way onto NASA's ISS livestream channels, causing initial confusion and concern.
NASA emphasized that the broadcast did not reflect any real-time emergency on the ISS nor involve the current crew, who were in their scheduled sleep period at the time.
Credit: NASA
Despite the incident, the ISS crew, including three Russian cosmonauts and six NASA astronauts, continued their preparations for a scheduled spacewalk involving NASA astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Matthew Dominick.
The upcoming spacewalk, set for Thursday, will focus on replacing a faulty radio communications unit and conducting a study on microorganisms in space environments.
NASA assured the public that all ISS crew members were safe and healthy, and preparations for the spacewalk were proceeding as planned.
NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT, with the spacewalk itself starting at 8 a.m. EDT. Interested viewers can watch the event live on Space.com and other platforms.