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NASA cuts spacewalk short

Posted at 10:33 AM, Jul 16, 2013
and last updated 2013-07-16 10:33:33-04

NASA cuts spacewalk short

By Deanna Hackney, CNN

(CNN) — A spacewalk outside the International Space Station was cut short Tuesday morning because of a slight malfunction with one of the astronauts’ space suits, NASA said.

The two spacewalking astronauts were called back into the station after they and mission control personnel noticed what appeared to be water pooling inside one of their space suits, NASA representative Kelly Humphries said.

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano “reported water free-floating behind his head inside his helmet,” NASA’s website said.

The spacewalk, which began shortly before 8 a.m. ET, has yet to be rescheduled. NASA said that another attempt would not be made Tuesday.

During the spacewalk, Parmitano and U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy were to install backup power equipment to critical station components and prepare cables for a new laboratory module that is due to arrive later this year, NASA said.