--- title: "NASA Astronauts Accidentally Lose Tool Bag During Space Walk" description: "During a Thursday spacewalk outside of the International Space Station, two NASA astronauts lost an entire bag of tools." date: "2023-11-03" modified: "2023-11-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-astronauts-lose-tool-bag-space-walk" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "astronauts" - "international space station" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Astronauts Accidentally Lose Tool Bag During Space Walk ![During a Thursday spacewalk outside of the International Space Station, two NASA astronauts lost an entire bag of tools.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Orbital Oopsy During a Thursday spacewalk outside of the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara were tasked with replacing a bearing of an assembly allowing the station's solar arrays to stay pointed at the Sun. But as they were getting to work, the pair "inadvertently lost" a "tool bag" in an "orbital oopsy," according to a [NASA update](), an object that was later spotted by flight controllers harmlessly floating off into the distance. Fortunately, the tools "were not needed for the remainder of the spacewalk," allowing the two astronauts to return back inside. More importantly, the bag's trajectory meant it was unlikely to "recontact" — or smack into — the space station, meaning the accident hopefully won't be a big deal. ## Space Snafu It's far from the first time astronauts have lost track of tools in space. Back in 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White infamously [lost a spare glove]() during a spacewalk outside of his Gemini 4 spacecraft. Over the decades, several other astronauts have lost other objects, from [spare bolts]() in 2006 to an entire [bag ironically containing a debris shield]() in 2017. In some cases, tools are even intentionally jettisoned. Case in point, earlier this year, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin intentionally let a sizeable bundle of discarded hardware drift off into space. "Bye bye," said one of the cosmonauts after letting go of the bundle during a [livestream]() of the spacewalk. "Just flies beautifully." The problem, of course, is that not every piece of space debris will stay out of the way of future space travelers. Scientists have long been worried about the sheer amount of junk littering our planet's orbit, something that's actively [endangering the lives]() of astronauts. While the latest space "snafu" likely won't pose any threat to the astronauts currently stationed on board the ISS, that [doesn't mean]() there aren't any risks associated with losing track of a bolt or an entire tool bag during the next spacewalk. **More on astronauts littering:** *[Cosmonauts Caught Littering Directly Into Space ]()* ## 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]()