NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara inadvertently released a toolkit into space during a recent mission. The white satchel-like bag, now visible with binoculars, orbits Earth independently, according to NASA.
The agency clarified that the toolkit was deemed unnecessary for the astronauts’ tasks, which they were able to complete without it.
During a 6-hour-long maintenance session at the International Space Station, the toolkit slipped away as the astronauts conducted maintenance work on solar arrays, as reported by SciTechDaily. Fortunately, NASA assured that the drifting toolkit poses no threat to the space station and requires no intervention.
Expected to orbit ahead of the International Space Station for several months, the toolkit is anticipated to meet its fiery end in Earth’s atmosphere around March 2024. This incident evokes memories of a similar occurrence in 2008 when a toolkit drifted off during a spacewalk.