NASA Puts Spacewalk on Hold, Considers Crew Mission Changes Due to Health Concern

A planned spacewalk set for Thursday at the International Space Station faced cancellation on Wednesday night owing to a 'health concern' involving one astronaut, NASA disclosed.

As midnight approached, NASA indicated it was reviewing various strategic choices, including potentially concluding Crew 11's tenure in space earlier than planned.

The space agency emphasized that handling such situations is part of their rigorous preparation and training. They assured updates would be shared within the next day.

Though the identity and specific condition of the astronaut were not revealed—owing to privacy respect—the individual is reported to be in stable condition.

The team, led by Zena Cardman, includes astronauts Mike Fincke, who brings ample spacewalk experience, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They journeyed aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon on August 1.

Crew 11 was anticipated to stay in orbit until the arrival of their substitutes in mid-February, with a projected Earthbound return by February 20, which remains the current schedule.

Cardman, together with Fincke, who is seasoned in completing spacewalks, was set to proceed with external maintenance of the ISS this Thursday, focusing on constructing a frame for solar array deployment and other tasks.

A following excursion involving different astronauts was originally slated for next week. However, NASA announced a hold on the Thursday spacewalk, citing a medical monitoring situation that arose Wednesday afternoon, not specifying details due to medical privacy norms.

NASA reassured that the matter was stable and promised to disclose more, including rescheduling details for the deferred spacewalk.

In a brief communication with ground mission control, astronaut Yui requested a private medical consultation.

A private communication channel was quickly arranged for a medical consultation, while Yui inquired about the availability of a flight surgeon and live footage from within the station.

Mission control confirmed they could provide video from the laboratory area if needed, and Yui sought confirmation of a flight surgeon's readiness.

Subsequently, the usual continuous live audio feed from NASA's space station channels was unexpectedly cut without explanation.