Space

NASA: False Alarm, No Emergency On ISS Livestream

At a Glance

A NASA live stream from the International Space Station cut to disturbing audio.
The audio seemed to indicate a medical emergency on board.
NASA said it was a mistake.

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Everything's fine.

That's the message NASA put out Wednesday after a live stream from the International Space Station cut to what seemed to be an ISS crew member being treated for a medical emergency in space.

It all happened at about 6:30 p.m. EDT, when the regular ISS live stream cut to audio indicating someone on the ISS was having symptoms related to decompression sickness, or DCS.

Space watchers began to sound the alarm on social media.

NASA posted this message about 90 minutes later:

"There is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station ... This audio was inadvertently misrouted from an ongoing simulation where crew members and ground teams train for various scenarios in space and is not related to a real emergency. The International Space Station crew members were in their sleep period at the time."

The post noted that all astronauts "remain healthy and safe" and a spacewalk scheduled for Thursday was set to go on as planned. The spacewalk was later canceled due to a "spacesuit discomfort issue." The next spacewalk is scheduled for June 24.

DCS can happen when a person moves from a higher-pressure atmosphere to a lower-pressure atmosphere, which causes gas bubbles to form in the body. NASA notes it is a concern for astronauts who perform spacewalks outside the ISS. In scuba diving, DCS is sometimes called "the bends."

The International Space Station sits in orbit about 250 miles above Earth, traveling at a speed of about 5 miles per second. There is typically an international crew of seven astronauts onboard. Two additional astronauts arrived last week on Boeing Starliner's first crewed test flight.

Ever wonder where the International Space Station is, or if you can see it from Earth? NASA's Spot The Station website tracks it live.

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.