An astronaut tool bag is seen drifting around the earth's orbit outside the International Space Station (ISS). It appears to be a speck of dust, but in reality it's an EVA gear misplaced by spacewalking astronauts on Nov. 1.
Tracking confirms that this luminous object is indeed the lost tool bag from astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara's inadvertent incident on Nov. 2, per EarthSky.
Tumbling Brilliance: A Telling Sign
The tool bag's varying brightness indicates a tumbling motion during its orbit around our planet. Initially, it was slightly ahead of the ISS and is progressively distancing itself as it descends.
Last seen by @Astro_Satoshi while floating over Mount Fuji 🗻 the 'Orbital Police' can confirm that the lost EVA gear is being tracked 🫡 https://t.co/wz4MITmAfM pic.twitter.com/eksfu9fPFw
— Dr Meganne Christian (@astro_meganne) November 5, 2023
On Nov. 11, it was already five minutes ahead of the ISS, a lead expected to extend to about ten minutes by mid-November. Observations note an eastward drift relative to the ISS's trajectory as the tool bag loses altitude.
The Tool Bag's Orbital Fate
The tool bag is expected to float around the Earth's orbit for several more months. Unlike the ISS, the tool bag's orbit will steadily decline until it reaches approximately 70 miles (113 km), leading to its eventual disintegration. Current estimates suggest reentry into the atmosphere between March and July of 2024.
The images of the lost ISS crew lock bag was captured by the Virtual Telescope Project.
Spotting the Tool Bag
Surprisingly bright for a tool bag, with a magnitude around +6, it hovers just below the unaided eye's visibility threshold. Binoculars can enhance the viewing experience.
Check for visible ISS passes and identify the trajectory beforehand, considering the tool bag's lead of nearly 10 minutes.
Lost in Space: How Did it Happen?
The tool bag's misplacement occurred during a spacewalk focused on repairing assemblies enabling continuous sun tracking for the ISS solar arrays. This incident mirrors a similar tool bag loss in 2008 by astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper.
Regrettably, this isn't the first time a NASA astronaut has inadvertently misplaced a tool bag. A parallel occurrence transpired on November 18, 2008, and remnants of the lost tool bag were visible two months later.
The persistent challenge of space debris remains a concern despite NASA's assurance that the tool bag's trajectory poses no immediate threat to the ISS or its crew.
"It's far from the first time astronauts have lost track of tools in space. Back in 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White infamously lost a spare glove during a spacewalk outside of his Gemini 4 spacecraft.
Over the decades, several other astronauts have lost other objects, from spare bolts in 2006 to an entire bag ironically containing a debris shield in 2017," Futurism's Victor Tangermann wrote in a previous report.
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