NASA Accidentally Broadcasts Simulation of Emergency On International Space Station
NASA caused a stir on social media on Wednesday after accidentally broadcasting a simulation of astronauts being treated for decompression sickness of the International Space Station.
The broadcast, which aired around 5:28 p.m. U.S. Central Time on Wednesday, included audio suggesting a crew member was in critical condition. A female voice could be heard saying, "get commander back in his suit," and describing the prognosis as "tenuous."
Decompression sickness, or "the bends," occurs when nitrogen or other gas bubbles form in the bloodstream due to a change in atmospheric pressure. It can be fatal if not treated quickly.
The broadcast quickly led to online speculation about an emergency on the ISS, with many users sharing the audio clip on social media, believing it to be real.
However, NASA soon clarified the situation on its official ISS X account, explaining that the audio was part of a training simulation and not an actual emergency. The ISS crew was actually asleep at the time of the broadcast, preparing for a spacewalk scheduled for 8 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
"This audio was inadvertently misrouted from an ongoing simulation where crew members and ground teams train for various scenarios in space and is not related to a real emergency," NASA stated. "There is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station."
NASA's accidental broadcast led to its YouTube channel displaying an error message, indicating the feed had been interrupted. Despite the confusion, NASA confirmed that all ISS activities, including the upcoming spacewalk, would proceed as planned.
