NASA has confirmed that the distressing audio clip circulating on social media, depicting astronauts in distress on the International Space Station (ISS), was actually a simulation broadcast in error on its YouTube channel. The clip, intended for training purposes, caused a stir online as a voice mentioned an astronaut’s “tenuous” chance of survival.
The broadcast, which occurred at 23:28 BST, led to speculation about a possible emergency in space, with some believing a real astronaut was suffering from decompression sickness. However, NASA quickly clarified that all members of the ISS were safe and that the audio was mistakenly routed from an ongoing simulation.
Private firm SpaceX also reassured the public on social media that there was no emergency aboard the ISS. Despite the confusion, NASA did not independently verify the recordings being shared online as the same ones they broadcast.
Decompression sickness, also known as “the bends,” is a condition typically associated with scuba diving, where bubbles form inside the body due to a change in external pressure. Astronauts follow protocols to prevent this from happening in space.
NASA confirmed that its crew members aboard the ISS were asleep at the time of the broadcast, in preparation for a spacewalk scheduled for 1300 BST on Thursday. The spacewalk will proceed as planned, unaffected by the mistaken simulation broadcast.
