NASA was forced to deny that a medical emergency broke out onboard the International Space Station (ISS) after a training drill was accidentally aired on its YouTube livestream.
Distressing audio was broadcast on the channel which appeared to confirm that an astronaut onboard the ISS was in trouble after suffering from decompression sickness (DCS).聽
A female voice could be heard telling people to 鈥済et the commander back in his suit鈥 and for crew members to check for a pulse 鈥渙ne more time鈥.
鈥淪o, if we could get the commander back in his suit, get it sealed 鈥 for suited hyperbaric treatment 鈥 Prior to sealing, closing the visor, and pressurizing the suit, I would like you to check his pulse one more time,鈥 the female voice said.
Later the female voice, who was identified as a flight surgeon working at the SpaceX mission control center in Hawthorne, California, said that she was concerned there are 鈥渟ome severe DCS hits鈥 and that the prognosis for the commander was 鈥渞elatively tenuous鈥.
After concerns for crew members grew on social media, NASA clarified the situation on X (formally known as Twitter) and denied that any real-life emergency had transpired.
鈥淭here is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station. At approximately 5:28 p.m. CDT, audio was aired on the NASA livestream from a simulation audio channel on the ground indicating a crew member was experiencing effects related to decompression sickness,鈥 NASA confirmed through its ISS social media account.聽聽
There is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station. At approximately 5:28 p.m. CDT, audio was aired on the NASA livestream from a simulation audio channel on the ground indicating a crew member was experiencing effects related to decompression鈥
— International Space Station (@Space_Station)
NASA added: 鈥淭his 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.鈥
The agency confirmed that the ISS crew had all been asleep at the time the audio was streamed and unaware of the drama that had unfolded.
SpaceX later confirmed on X that the simulation was only a test and confirmed that the 鈥渃rew training in Hawthorne is safe and healthy as is the Dragon spacecraft docked to the @space_station鈥.聽
