This undated photo provided by Roscosmos shows the International Space Station. -Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP, File
BEING an astronaut is definitely a dangerous profession, especially if they are out in the airless void of space protected only by the spacesuit they're wearing.
As such, it would seem that drowning would be one of the least likely threats to an astronaut's life considering that any large body of water lies at least 1,000km beneath their feet.
Having said that, there has been a claim repeated online that an Italian astronaut nearly drowned in his space suit while working outside the International Space Station (ISS). Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
This actually happened to astronaut Luca Parmitano on a July 16, 2023 spacewalk which he wrote about in a blog post that has been preserved online in several news articles.
As cited in an article by CBS News, Parmitano was accompanied by Nasa astronaut Chris Cassidy and the incident happened after he had completed his tasks over 40 minutes ahead of schedule.
"At this exact moment, just as I'm thinking about how to uncoil the (safety) cable neatly, I 'feel' that something is wrong. The unexpected sensation of water at the back of my neck surprises me – and I'm in a place where I'd rather not be surprised," said Parmitano.
He added that after he alerted mission control, Cassidy came over to try to figure out where the water was coming from.
Parmitano said the liquid was too cold to be sweat and he headed back to the airlock on instruction from mission control after he didn't see any leaks from his drinking water valve.
He then had to turn upside down to release his safety cable even as water blocked his vision.
"Two things happened: The Sun sets, and my ability to see – already compromised by the water –completely vanishes, making my eyes useless," said Parmitano.
"Worse than that, the water covers my nose – a really awful sensation that I make worse by my vain attempts to move the water by shaking my head. I can't even be sure that the next time I breathe, I will fill my lungs with air and not liquid," he added.
Parmitano then realised that he could not understand which direction he should head to get back inside the ISS, but began to feel his way along the safety cables to find the handles leading back to the airlock while seeing through a "curtain of water" before his eyes.
He was then followed by Cassidy, and they started the repressurisation process – upon which Parmitano lost his audio feed as water filled his ears.
Parmitano said during the several minutes repressurisation takes, he had considered opening his helmet even though he would have passed out as being unconscious is better than drowning.
"Finally, with an unexpected wave of relief," as repressurisation ended, the other crew members rushed in to remove his helmet.
Ultimately, Nasa traced the problem to a malfunction in the life support systems carried in the backpack of Parmitano's space suit, with an ABC News report in February 2014 citing officials saying that the flooding had been traced to a fan pump in the suit.
However, it went on to say that Nasa was unable to trace the source of the contamination that caused the blockage, even nine months after the incident.
So it goes to show, expect the unexpected when in space – because in the right circumstances, even drowning is a possibility.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/astronaut-luca-parmitano-describes-near-drowning-experience-in-space/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/20/astronaut-helmet-drowning-interview
