NASA's perilous 2013 spacewalk: Lessons from a near-drowning
Luca Parmitano nearly drowned when water leaked into his helmet during a spacewalk. This incident occurred during a six-hour mission that Parmitano undertook with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy in 2013.
Just an hour after starting the mission, which was supposed to include routine maintenance outside the International Space Station (ISS), Parmitano noticed water accumulating in his helmet. Initially, he thought it was a leak from his drink bag, but the volume of water kept increasing. Soon after, he began having trouble seeing, hearing, and communicating.
I feel a lot of water on the back of my head, but I don't think it is from my bag. My only guess is that it came out of my bag and then found its way over there in the back - he reportedly said at the time.
The man was genuinely at risk of drowning in space. The mission team had no choice but to abort their spacewalk. Parmitano managed to return to the ISS airlock.
His composure definitely helped in the situation.
The spacesuit did not withstand the task. This had been noticed earlier
After the incident involving Parmitano, NASA admitted that the spacesuit design had technical issues, which were observed a week before Parmitano and Cassidy embarked on their mission.
In a blog post by the European Space Agency, Parmitano recounted the course of the event. He admitted that the feeling of water accumulating behind his neck was surprising.
The unexpected sensation of water at the back of my neck surprises me - and I'm in a place where I'd rather not be surprised - he added.
Contact from Earth confirmed they had received his report and asked him to wait for further instructions. However, the problem kept growing. Chris Cassidy had just finished his walk and was approaching Luca to see if he could identify the source of the problem in his helmet.
Meanwhile, Luca already knew that the water level was rising.
At that moment, as I turn ‘upside-down’, two things happen: the Sun sets, and my ability to see – already compromised by the water – completely vanishes, making my eyes useless. But worse than that, the water covers my nose – a really awful sensation that I make worse by my vain attempts to move the water by shaking my head. By now, the upper part of the helmet is full of water and I can't even be sure that the next time I breathe I will fill my lungs with air and not liquid - recalled Parmitano of the terrifying moments.
Years later, he knows how he should have acted back then.
Now that we are repressurizing, I know that if the water does overwhelm me I can always open the helmet. I’ll probably lose consciousness, but in any case that would be better than drowning inside the helmet - he said.
He also added that astronauts and all space mission teams should remember that they are explorers, not colonisers.
The skills of our engineers and the technology surrounding us make things appear simple when they are not, and perhaps we forget this sometimes - emphasised Parmitano.
