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Parmitano on his EVA23 Drowning Incident



 
 
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Old February 11th 16, 09:18 PM posted to sci.space.policy
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Default Parmitano on his EVA23 Drowning Incident


http://blogs.esa.int/luca-parmitano/...-the-frontier/

EVA 23: exploring the frontier
Posted on August 20, 2013

My eyes are closed as I listen to Chris counting down the atmospheric
pressure inside the airlock û itÆs close to zero now. But IÆm not tired
û quite the reverse! I feel fully charged, as if electricity and not
blood were running through my veins. I just want to make sure I experience
and remember everything. IÆm mentally preparing myself to open the door
because I will be the first to exit the Station this time round. Maybe
itÆs just as well that itÆs night time: at least there wonÆt be anything
to distract me.

When I read 0.5 psi, itÆs time to turn the handle and pull up the hatch.
It is pitch black outside, not the colour black but rather a complete
absence of light. I drink in the sight as I lean out to attach our safety
cables. I feel completely at ease as I twist my body to let Chris go by.
In a matter of seconds, we finish checking each other and we separate.
Even though we are both heading to more or less the same part of the
International Space Station, our routes are completely different, set
out by the choreography we have studied meticulously. My route is direct,
towards the back of the Station, while Chris has to go towards the front
first in order to wind his cable around Z1, the central truss structure
above Node 1. At that moment, none of us in orbit or on Earth could
have imagined just how much this decision would influence the events
of the day.

I pay careful attention to every move as I make my way towards the
protective bag that we left outside the week before. I donÆt want to
make the mistake of feeling so much at ease as to be relaxed. Inside
the bag I find the cables that form part of what will perhaps be my most
difficult task of the day. I have to connect them to the StationÆs
external sockets while at the same time securing them to the surface of
the station with small metal wires. Both operations involve me using my
fingers a lot, and I know from experience that this will be really tiring
because of the pressurised gloves.

Chris partially connected the first cable last week, so I get hold of the
part that is still unattached and I guide it carefully towards the socket.
After a little initial difficulty, I inform Houston that I have completed
the task and IÆm ready for the second cable. After getting hold of the
next cable, I move into what I think is the most difficult position to
work from on the whole Station: IÆm literally wedged between three
different modules, with my visor and my PLSS (my æbackpackÆ) just a few
centimetres from the external walls of Node 3, Node 1 and the Lab. Very
patiently, with considerable effort I manage to fasten one end of the
second cable to the socket. Then, moving blindly backwards, I free myself
from the awkward position IÆve had to work in. On the ground, Shane tells
me that IÆm almost 40 minutes ahead of schedule, and Chris is also running
ahead on his tasks.

At this exact moment, just as IÆm thinking about how to uncoil the cable
neatly (it is moving around like a thing possessed in the weightlessness),
I æfeelÆ that something is wrong. The unexpected sensation of water at the
back of my neck surprises me û and IÆm in a place where IÆd rather not be
surprised. I move my head from side to side, confirming my first impression,
and with superhuman effort I force myself to inform Houston of what I can
feel, knowing that it could signal the end of this EVA. On the ground,
Shane confirms they have received my message and he asks me to await
instructions. Chris, who has just finished, is still nearby and he moves
towards me to see if he can see anything and identify the source of the
water in my helmet.

At first, weÆre both convinced that it must be drinking water from my
flask that has leaked out through the straw, or else itÆs sweat. But I
think the liquid is too cold to be sweat, and more importantly, I can
feel it increasing. I canÆt see any liquid coming out of the drinking
water valve either. When I inform Chris and Shane of this, we immediately
receive the order to æterminateÆ the sortie. The other possibility, to
æabortÆ, is used for more serious problems. IÆm instructed to go back
to the airlock.

Together we decide that Chris should secure all the elements that are
outside before he retraces his steps to the airlock, i.e. he will first
move to the front of the Station. And so we separate.

As I move back along my route towards the airlock, I become more and more
certain that the water is increasing. I feel it covering the sponge on my
earphones and I wonder whether IÆll lose audio contact. The water has
also almost completely covered the front of my visor, sticking to it and
obscuring my vision. I realise that to get over one of the antennae on
my route I will have to move my body into a vertical position, also in
order for my safety cable to rewind normally.

At that moment, as I turn
æupside-downÆ, two things happen: the Sun sets, and my ability to see û
already compromised by the water û completely vanishes, making my eyes
useless; but worse than that, the water covers my nose û 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 canÆt even be sure that the next time I breathe I will fill my
lungs with air and not liquid. To make matters worse, I realise that I
canÆt even understand which direction I should head in to get back to the
airlock. I canÆt see more than a few centimetres in front of me, not even
enough to make out the handles we use to move around the Station.

I try to contact Chris and Shane: I listen as they talk to each other,
but their voices are very faint now: I can hardly hear them and they
canÆt hear me. IÆm alone. I frantically think of a plan. ItÆs vital
that I get inside as quickly as possible. I know that if I stay where
I am, Chris will come and get me, but how much time do I have? ItÆs
impossible to know. Then I remember my safety cable. Its cable recoil
mechanism has a force of around 3lb that will æpullÆ me towards the left.

ItÆs not much, but itÆs the best idea I have: to follow the cable to the
airlock. I force myself to stay calm and, patiently locating the handles
by touch, I start to move, all the while thinking about how to eliminate
the water if it were to reach my mouth. The only idea I can think of is
to open the safety valve by my left ear: if I create controlled
depressurisation, I should manage to let out some of the water, at
least until it freezes through sublimation, which would stop the flow.
But making a æholeÆ in my spacesuit really would be a last resort.

I move for what seems like an eternity (but I know itÆs just a few
minutes). Finally, with a huge sense of relief, I peer through the
curtain of water before my eyes and make out the thermal cover of the
airlock: just a little further, and IÆll be safe. One of the last
instructions I received was to go back inside immediately, without
waiting for Chris. According to protocol, I should have entered the
airlock last, because I was first to leave. But neither Chris nor I
have any problem in changing the order in which we re-enter.

Moving with my eyes closed, I manage to get inside and position myself to
wait for ChrisÆ return. I sense movement behind me; Chris enters the
airlock and judging from the vibrations, I know that heÆs closing the
hatch. At that moment, communication passes to Karen and for some reason,
IÆm able to hear her fairly well. But I realise that she canÆt hear me
because she repeats my instructions even though IÆve already replied.
I follow KarenÆs instructions as best I can, but when repressurization
begins I lose all audio. The water is now inside my ears and IÆm
completely cut off.

I try to move as little as possible to avoid moving the water inside my
helmet. I keep giving information on my health, saying that IÆm ok and
that repressurization can continue. Now that we are repressurizing, I
know that if the water does overwhelm me I can always open the helmet.
IÆll probably lose consciousness, but in any case that would be better
than drowning inside the helmet. At one point, Chris squeezes my glove
with his and I give him the universal æokÆ sign with mine. The last
time he heard me speak was before entering the airlock!

The minutes of repressurization crawl by and finally, with an unexpected
wave of relief, I see the internal door open and the whole team assembled
there ready to help. They pull me out and as quickly as possible, Karen
unfastens my helmet and carefully lifts it over my head. Fyodor and Pavel
immediately pass me a towel and I thank them without hearing their words
because my ears and nose will still be full of water for a few minutes more.

Orbital DawnSpace is a harsh, inhospitable frontier and we 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.

Better not to forget.

This entry was posted in Luca blog and tagged EVA 23, water


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