Posted: Thu, Feb 27, 2014, 6:40 AM ET (1140 GMT)
An investigation into a water leak in a spacesuit that nearly caused an astronaut to drown last year found that the leak started on an earlier spacewalk but was misunderstood by astronauts and engineers. NASA released Wednesday a report by a mishap investigation board into the water leak in a spacesuit worn by European astronaut Luca Parmitano during an EVA on July 16 of last year. In the early phases of the spacewalk, water accumulated in Parmitano's helmet, forcing an early end to the spacewalk and endangering Parmitano as he made his way back inside the station. The root cause of the leak is still under investigation, although it appears silicate contamination blocked plumbing in the suit, forcing water into its ventilation system and collected in his helmet. That problem started towards the end of a previous spacewalk a week earlier, but investigators said both astronauts and engineers blamed it on a leaking drink bag. NASA said it would implement all the major recommendations in the report before carrying out any planned EVAs from the station, which are not currently planned before late July or early August.
