Astronauts lose tool bag during spacewalk at space station. Now, it’s orbiting Earth

NASA determined bag is not a risk to space station

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2021 file photo provided by NASA, the International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. Russia's space chief said Tuesday, July 26, 2022, that they will opt out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost. (NASA via AP, File) (Uncredited)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two astronauts conducting a spacewalk at the International Space Station dropped their tool bag — and you can now see it floating in space.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara made their first spacewalk on Nov. 1 to replace one of the 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the sun and generate electricity to power the station, according to NASA.

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During the hourslong spacewalk, NASA said one tool bag “was inadvertently lost.”

The tools were not needed for the rest of the spacewalk. Mission Control tracked the bag and determined the risk of the bag coming back into contact with the space station was low and there was no further action required.

“Moghbeli and O’Hara are in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program,” NASA said in a blog post.

According to Space.com, you can track the bag with just a pair of binoculars. All you need to do is find the space station and it’ll be traveling two to four minutes ahead of it.

EarthSky, a website that tracks things in space, said the bag will likely orbit Earth for a few months before disintegrating in Earth’s atmosphere.


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About the Author

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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