NASA astronauts on a rare all-female spacewalk have accidentally dropped a satchel-sized toolbox bag while carrying out maintenance work at the International Space Station (ISS) and it is possible the kit could be viewed from Earth with a good pair of binoculars.
The white toolbox is now orbiting the Earth several minutes ahead of the ISS and slipped away from two astronauts. Astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara spent around six hours and 42 minutes outside the ISS before the tools glided away.
However, NASA confirmed the tools were not needed for the remainder of the spacewalk.
The Expedition 70 crewmates are completing the fourth all-female extravehicular activity in history.
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Mission Control analysed the bag’s trajectory and determined the risk of re-contacting the station was low, and that the onboard crew remained safe.
For those hoping to catch a glimpse of the toolbox, the bag is reflective thanks to catching the sun’s rays, and it shines just below the limit of visibility to the unaided eye, according to EarthSky. This means people may see it with a telescope or a handy pair of binoculars.
EarthSky website said: “It’s surprisingly bright (for a tool bag), shining just below the limit of visibility to the unaided eye.”
The bag has been classified as space junk and is expected to re-enter the Earth’s orbit in the coming months, but it could burn up in the process.
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As of September, the European Space Agency estimated 11,000 tons of space objects are orbiting Earth. That includes up to 36,500 pieces of debris greater than 4 inches, objects that could cause cataclysmic damage if they were to hit a satellite or a rocket.
Over the years, while conducting repairs in space, many astronauts have lost belongings in the process, as reported by Sky News.
In November 2008, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper was performing a similar repair when the same thing happened and two years earlier in 2006, spacewalker Piers Sellers sheepishly reported that he lost a spatula.
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