A Russian spacewalk ended prematurely on Wednesday due to a battery problem in the suit of one of the two cosmonauts who took part in it, with the US and Russian space agencies wanting to be reassuring that it need never have been in danger.
“Drop everything and start going back inside,” International Space Station (ISS) cosmonaut Oleg Artemiev was ordered more than two hours after the start of the spacewalk.
“Do not worry everything is fine”
He had just reported data anomalies indicating his spacesuit voltage.
“Oleg, you must return to the airlock as soon as possible,” he was repeatedly asked, according to the words of the Russian employees in direct contact with the cosmonauts, translated into English in the video released by NASA of the exit.
“Please don’t worry, it’s fine,” however, she was also told.
“Me? Worried? Never in my life,” replied Oleg Artemiev, again according to the NASA translator.
The cosmonaut joined the airlock, where he was directly connected to the ISS power supply. He then waited for the second cosmonaut, Denis Matveev, to retrieve the equipment that was used during the exit and also to enter the airlock, which was then closed to re-pressurize it. The spacewalk was declared complete after four hours.
“The duo was never in danger”
“The situation is under control… The cosmonaut’s health is not threatened,” the Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement. “The crew is fine.”
“The duo was not in any danger during the operations,” NASA also said in a blog post. This was the seventh spacewalk for Oleg Artemiev and the third for Denis Matveev.
Prior to the incident, they were able to install two cameras outside the Station. “The works that have not been completed will be carried out in the next sorties,” Roscosmos said.
Source: BFM TV
