Living in space for months inevitably leads to unforeseen problems, and overcoming them requires adaptability and flexibility, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station told Fox News.
“We have had some unexpected challenges in the last couple of weeks,” European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen said. “We were planning to do two spacewalks that have been rescheduled for a later time because of a coolant leak.”
“You never know what will happen up here,” he continued. “I think the key is to be adaptable and flexible.”
The recent coolant leak delayed an all-woman spacewalk mission that was supposed to occur earlier this month.
“The coolant is not toxic or hazardous for the crew, but experts are discussing how to best keep small traces of the substance from getting into some internal systems to avoid equipment degradation over time,” NASA wrote in an Oct. 16 blog post.
Frank Rubio, who recently set the U.S. astronaut record for the most consecutive days in space, spent 371 days aboard the ISS instead of the 180 he was originally deployed for. His return was delayed after the Russian-made Soyuz rocket intended for his return trip to Earth was struck by space debris, rendering the vehicle unsafe.
“This is a very extreme situation, having your flight extended for a year,” Mogensen explained, but adaptability “is an important part of our training.”
“We have a great team in Houston who are always ready to help and respond to any challenge,” added the rocketeer.
And facing challenges head-on requires on-the-job adjustments.
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“We have to be able to be up here for six months because you never know what situation’s going to develop and what you need to fix or to work on,” he continued, reiterating that the job is “all about being adaptable and flexible.”
To watch the full interview with Mogensen, click here.
Ramiro Vargas contributed to the accompanying video.
The article How the astronauts are tackling ‘unexpected’ challenges miles above earth first appeared on Fox News .
