US space agency NASA has delayed its planned spacewalk due to a medical issue involving one of the astronauts. Expedition 74 NASA astronauts, Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, were set for the first spacewalk of 2026 to conduct power upgrade work outside the International Space Station. However, NASA has not disclosed further details about the medical problem or the affected astronaut.
The decision to postpone the spacewalk was announced in a blog post by NASA, citing a medical concern with a crew member that emerged on Wednesday aboard the space station. Due to medical privacy considerations, NASA refrained from sharing more specifics about the crew member but assured that the situation is stable. NASA plans to reveal a new date for the rescheduled spacewalk later.
During the planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, Station Commander Fincke and Flight Engineer Cardman were supposed to install a modification kit and route cables for a future solar array rollout. Additionally, tasks included installing jumper cables, capturing hardware images, and collecting microorganism samples.
Cardman, a 38-year-old geobiologist selected for the astronaut corps in 2017, was anticipated to experience her first spacewalk. Ahead of the spacewalk, Fincke and Cardman readied their tools and supplies in the Quest airlock and prepared their spacesuits and life support systems. They were later briefed on final procedures by Flight Engineers Chris Williams of NASA and Kimiya Yui of JAXA. Williams and Yui will support the astronauts during the spacewalk activities outside the space station.
