A planned spacewalk at the International Space Station was interrupted Wednesday after coolant fluid could be seen emitting from the Soyuz spacecraft, according to NASA officials.
The spacewalk, which was scheduled for 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, featured coverage of Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin as they went out to attach a heat-dissipating radiator to the space station’s Nauka science module, according to NASA.
[TRENDING: Video shows Tavares officer overdose after being exposed to fentanyl during traffic stop | TikTok influencer among 3 killed in Volusia County wrong-way crash | Become a News 6 Insider]
NASA stated that the spacewalk was a continuation of the pair’s previous spacewalk on Nov. 17, which is when they prepared the radiator for relocation.
During coverage, however, a “stream of particles” began to leak from near the propulsion module of the Soyuz spacecraft’s MS-22 vehicle, which is attached to the space station, according to NASA commentator Rob Navias.
Tonight's spacewalk with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin is on standby as mission controllers assess flakes seen leaking from the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship. pic.twitter.com/jC5X1oaEDh
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 15, 2022
Navias later said that the particles leaking from the Soyuz were coolant fluid. The spacewalk was subsequently canceled due to the leak, NASA announced.
Tonight's spacewalk with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin is cancelled as mission controllers evaluate the impact of a coolant leak seen on the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship. The space station is in good condition and the Expedition 68 crew is safe. pic.twitter.com/olEblc4NEO
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 15, 2022
Prokopyev and Petelin were able to safely return to the space station following the cancelation, Navias said. NASA confirmed that the astronauts involved in the spacewalk were neither injured nor endangered by the leak.
No information was provided about the cause of the leak. In addition, it’s not yet clear whether the damaged Soyuz capsule will be able to later return the cosmonauts to Earth.
Wednesday’s spacewalk was expected to happen on Nov. 25, but issues with Prokopyev and Petelin’s water-cooling loops in their spacesuits forced the mission to be scrubbed, NASA said.
The spacewalk would have marked the fourth spacewalk in Prokopyev’s career and the second in Petelin’s, NASA wrote in its blog. It would also have marked the 12th spacewalk in total for 2022, NASA said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: