A historic first for British astronauts involves a sudden, unexpected return to safety

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Watch the highlights of the first spacewalk by a British astronaut. This mission to replace a failed power regulator on the International Space Station was cut short when water began accumulating inside an astronaut's helmet.

Tim Peake (ESA) and Tim Kopra (NASA) performed a spacewalk on 15 January, attaching cables and swapping a Sequential Shunt Unit the size of a suitcase. The mission required five hours of preparation, including purging nitrogen from their bodies to prevent decompression sickness. Although the primary task was completed, the 4 hour 43 minute sortie was terminated early after Tim Kopra reported water building up in his helmet. The two astronauts returned to the station to be assisted by Scott Kelly and Sergei Volkov.

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