Listen up, kids: It may start with a quick puff in the high-school bathroom, but before long you're jonesing for a nicotine fix right in the middle of a spacewalk. And in space, not even Joe Camel can hear you scream.
NASA imposed a ban on spacewalks this week after an astronaut reported smelling smoke in his suit during ground tests in Houston. There's been no evidence of a "combustion event" thus far, but engineers are running tests on the suit to determine if their are any dangerous generic flaws in the suit architecture.
"During the test, the astronaut smelled just a little bit of smoke," Dean said, adding that even a slight odor is cause for concern given the spacesuit's 100 percent oxygen environment. "They got the crew member out of there in less than a minute."
Early suspects for the source of the smoke-like odor include the suit's carbon dioxide-scrubbing canister and the off-gassing of heated materials. If testing goes well, spacewalks could be reauthorized as early as next week, which is great since NASA planned critical spacewalks at the International Space Station on Nov. 20 and 24.
If I were them, I"d check under the glare visor for butts, ashes or even a spare Marlboro Red or two. It worked great for me when I was in the space program...of Laos.
NASA: Spacesuit's Smoky Smell Prompts Spacewalk Ban (space.com)
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