NASA postpones year's first spacewalk due to astronaut's medical concern
What's the story
NASA has postponed the spacewalk scheduled for January 8, outside the International Space Station (ISS). The decision comes in light of a "medical concern" with one of the crew members. The agency is closely monitoring the situation but has not revealed any further details about the specific issue or which astronaut it involves.
Official announcement
NASA's statement on the spacewalk postponement
In an official statement, NASA said, "NASA is postponing the Thursday, January 8, spacewalk outside the ISS. The agency is monitoring a medical concern with a crew member that arose on Wednesday afternoon aboard the orbital complex." The agency also stressed that due to medical privacy considerations, it wouldn't be appropriate to share more information about this crew member or their condition.
Rescheduling efforts
Future plans for the postponed spacewalk
NASA had originally planned two spacewalks on January 8 and January 15. The first one was to be conducted by astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman. They were supposed to exit the station's Quest airlock at 8am EST on January 8, and spend some six-and-a-half hours preparing the 2A power channel for future installation of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays.
Mission objectives
Purpose of the upcoming spacewalks
The upcoming spacewalks are crucial for the ISS as they will prepare it for future upgrades. The International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays will provide additional power to the orbital laboratory. Fincke was set to don a red-striped suit, while Cardman would wear an unmarked one for their respective roles in the mission. Today's spacewalk would have been Cardman's first-ever, while Fincke would have been undertaking his 10th.