IIT Madras, NASA Study Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens on ISS

NASA reassured the public that there was no emergency on the International Space Station (ISS) after a medical drill was mistakenly broadcasted, causing alarm on social media. The simulation involved a crew member in distress but was not related to any real situation. NASA clarified that the incident was a training exercise and not an actual emergency.

Incident Details

On Wednesday, NASA’s official livestream aired audio from a medical drill, making it seem like a crew member was in severe medical distress. The broadcast included emergency instructions to the ISS crew regarding a “commander” experiencing decompression sickness. A flight surgeon from SpaceX’s mission control center in Hawthorne, California, advised:

“So if we could get the commander back in his suit, get it sealed … for suited hyperbaric treatment … Prior to sealing, closing the visor, and pressurizing the suit, I would like you to check his pulse one more time.”

Public Reaction

Hundreds of people watching the livestream on YouTube saw the simulation, and the “commander’s” condition appeared to worsen. The flight surgeon expressed concerns about severe decompression sickness, calling the prognosis “relatively tenuous.” The incident quickly gained attention on social media.

Official Clarifications

NASA’s ISS account posted on X: “There is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station. Audio was inadvertently misrouted from an ongoing simulation where crew members and ground teams train for various scenarios in space.” SpaceX confirmed it was a test conducted in California and assured that all training crew were “safe and healthy.”

ISS Crew Status

NASA emphasized that the simulation was not linked to any real emergency and that the ISS crew was actually in their “sleep period” when the drill was aired. They confirmed that “all remain healthy and safe,” and the scheduled spacewalk would proceed at 8 AM EDT the following day.

NASA:Key Points

Headquarters

Location: Washington, D.C.

Leadership

Administrator: Bill Nelson (as of the latest update)

Deputy Administrator: Pam Melroy

Mission and Vision

Mission: To drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and stewardship of Earth.

Vision: To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind.

Notable Programs and Projects

Artemis Program: Aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually to Mars.

International Space Station (ISS): A space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.

James Webb Space Telescope: Set to be the premier observatory of the next decade.

Mars Exploration: Includes rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance.

Recent Highlights

Successful Mars Landing: Perseverance Rover landed on Mars in February 2021.

ISS Research: Ongoing studies, including the study of multidrug-resistant pathogens.