We have all experienced the frustration of losing something just when we need it the most. But what if this happens when you’re out on a spacewalk? This unfortunate incident befell NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara. Before they knew it, their toolbox was literally flying off.
Spacewalk Mishap
The accident occurred during a spacewalk that took place on November 2. This spacewalk, which lasted six hours and forty-two minutes, was supervised by NASA. Moghbeli and O’Hara were busily working to boost the International Space Station (ISS) by neatly stowing away a cable that was in front of a camera and replacing a solar panel bearing. Soon after, disaster struck: the toolbox had had enough and flew off, heading for freedom. The same box is currently orbiting Earth. A quick calculation from NASA indicates that the toolbox should not pose a future danger to the ISS.
Space Debris
NASA announced in a blog post that the toolbox was thankfully not needed for the remainder of the spacewalk. It has since been officially registered as space debris under number 58229 / 1998-067WC. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who works at the Center for Astrophysics (CfA)-(a collaboration between Harvard and Smithsonian)- stated on X that the toolbox is expected to continue orbiting Earth for a few more months before it incinerates in Earth’s atmosphere sometime in 2024.
The wandering toolbox has already been spotted several times; first shortly after the incident by NASA itself using the external cameras of the ISS, and later by ground telescopes. According to the website EarthSky, it should be possible to spot the toolbox with a pair of binoculars. “The strategy mainly consists of first locating the ISS and seeing which direction it is going,” the website explains. “The toolbox already has a five-minute lead on the ISS, which will soon increase to ten minutes.”
To the Stars and Beyond
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time NASA has lost equipment in space. There’s a video of astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper from November 2008 performing a similar type of repair when her toolbox also decided to escape. The amusing part is that there is live footage of that incident. So, one way or another, astronauts might want to consider bringing two toolboxes in the future: one for performing their tasks, and a spare one – to keep the tradition alive.
