"Apollo 7 astronaut Wally Schirra famously came down with a nasty head cold a mere 15 hours into the mission in 1967, with ground control warning him he could shatter his eardrums while returning to Earth with bad congestion. Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages."
"That's why it's striking that on Thursday, NASA announced that it was forced to postpone a January 8 spacewalk, citing a "medical concern." According to the carefully-worded update, the "matter involved a single crew member who is stable." The situation is still developing, and we have far more questions than answers. We don't know if the astronaut has fallen ill or has suffered an injury. However, given NASA's description, it sounds like it could be a fairly serious situation."
A minor medical issue becomes far more hazardous in orbit because confined spacecraft and microgravity amplify risks and complicate routine symptoms. Past incidents, such as Apollo 7's Wally Schirra developing a severe head cold, illustrate how congestion and lack of gravity can create dangerous conditions and require unusual measures. Limited onboard medical equipment and absence of specialized health professionals increase the stakes for any sickness or injury. NASA postponed a January 8 spacewalk due to a reported medical concern involving a single Crew-11 member who is described as stable, with the possibility of an earlier mission end under evaluation.
Read at Futurism
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