---
title: "NASA Canceled Spacewalk Because Astronaut Had Pinched Nerve"
description: "NASA revealed that Mark Vande Hei, a current crew member on board the International Space Station, suffered a \"minor medical issue.\" Now we know what it is."
date: "2021-08-24"
modified: "2021-08-24"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-astronaut-pinched-nerve"
categories:
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "astronaut health"
  - "international space station"
  - "iss"
  - "NASA"
  - "the digest"
---

# NASA Canceled Spacewalk Because Astronaut Had Pinched Nerve

![NASA revealed that Mark Vande Hei, a current crew member on board the International Space Station, suffered a "minor medical issue." Now we know what it is.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/injured-astronaut-reveals-what-caused-minor-medical-incident.png>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA\</em\>*

## Pinched Nerve

NASA revealed yesterday that Mark Vande Hei, a current crew member on the International Space Station, [suffered a "minor medical issue"](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronaut-suffers-medical-incident-space-station>) that caused Tuesday’s scheduled spacewalk to be delayed.

While [NASA said](<https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/08/23/spacewalk-is-postponed/>) that the issue was "not a medical emergency" and didn’t respond to Futurism’s request for comment, we've finally heard from Vande Hei himself via his Twitter account, who says the issue was merely a pinched nerve — a reminder that even veteran astronauts are human and are dealing with their own medical issues while in space.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Sabot/status/1430190677003055115

## Expect Delays

As NASA originally said, it doesn't sound like a serious injury.

"Thanks for everyone’s concern," the 54-year-old former US Army officer tweeted today. "I have a pinched nerve in my neck that caused us to reschedule today’s spacewalk."

Fortunately, he's not alone.

"The support from family, friends, and NASA leadership has been fantastic," he added.

The pinched nerve forced NASA to delay the spacewalk with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. The plan was to install a bracket for the ISS' massive new solar wings.

For now, the upgrade has to wait.

"I’m looking forward to installing this \[ISS advanced solar array upgrades\] MOD kit," Vande Hei wrote. "Today just wasn't the right day."

**More on the incident:** *[Astronaut Suffers Medical Incident on Space Station](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronaut-suffers-medical-incident-space-station>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)