NASA has postponed a scheduled spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) just hours before two astronauts were set to exit the orbiting laboratory. The agency cited a “medical concern with a crew member” as the reason for the postponement. The announcement came shortly after NASA reported that the space station crew had completed preparations for the spacewalk, also known as extravehicular activity or EVA. The agency did not disclose details about the affected astronaut or the nature of the medical situation, citing privacy concerns.
The spacewalk, originally scheduled for January 8, was supposed to last six-and-a-half hours and involved NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman. The astronauts were planning to install and prepare new hardware for a future roll-out solar array. Additionally, they were expected to take photographs of hardware and collect samples of microorganisms living on the exterior of the station.
The other crew members currently aboard the ISS include NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Oleg Platonov, and Sergei Mikaev, as well as Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. All seven crew members have been in space for over five months.
NASA has not provided a new date for the rescheduled spacewalk but assured that the situation is stable. The agency plans to share additional details in the future.
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