ITS A BIRD...ITS A PLANE...ITS...A TOOLBAG?

If you happen to be a person who loves to gaze up at the star-covered sky; you might see something a little different floating around up there.  If so, your eyes are not playing a trick on you. NASA had a little mishap recently while conducting repairs on the International Space Station.

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Photo by Vincentiu Solomon on Unsplash
Photo by Vincentiu Solomon on Unsplash
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WHAT WENT WRONG?

According to an article by FoxNews, spacewalkers were making repairs on the International Space Station equipment when their tool bag slipped away.  Do they not have toolbags tethered to their space suits? I guess not. The good news is that the toolbag was no longer needed for the repairs, and it was determined that there was no danger to the crew members, the earth, or to the International Space Station.

A FLOATING TREASURE

The toolbag, valued at about $100,000 in NASA tools, is expected to orbit Earth for a few months and then descend to Earth, before disintegrating when it enters Earth's atmosphere. The toolbag should reenter the atmosphere in March of 2024.

Perseid Meteor Shower
NASA via Getty Images
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HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN?

If this feels like De Ja Vu, it is. This happened once before in a similar circumstance when crews were making repairs in 2008.  Apparently, when you are in space, you complete the job and the last thing you are worried about when you're done is locating the toolbag.

If you see something shiny just ahead of the Space Station, it is probably the toolbag. It should be visible to you with your binoculars.

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