Tight Squeeze Puts U.S. Astronaut in a Bind Aboard Mir

Despite an ill-fitting spacesuit, American astronaut Andrew Thomas moved into Mir on Sunday for a 4 1/2-month stay while NASA and the Russian Space Agency debated what to do about the problem.

At first, Mission Control ordered Thomas not to spend Sunday night aboard the Russian space station as originally planned and told him to stay on the adjoining Endeavour. Then, in a confusing twist, officials relented; they one of two suits, once altered, should be good enough.

NASA’s deputy director of the shuttle-Mir program, Jim Van Laak, said there is a “remote possibility” that the suit adjustments would not work and that Thomas would be unable to remain aboard Mir.

Thomas needs a properly fitting spacesuit to wear in the attached Soyuz spacecraft. Even though he’s not supposed to ride in the Soyuz, that’s his only way back to Earth in the event of an emergency following Endeavour’s departure.

Thomas’ custom-made Russian suit is so tight he can’t get into it. And the only spare, the suit belonging to David Wolf, a Mir resident for the last four months, is too big.

“It’s basically unusable,” Thomas reported.

After hours of fiddling with the two suits, Thomas asked Mission Control point blank: Should he spend the night on Endeavour or Mir? Wolf had the same question.

Mission Control, in turn, asked Thomas whether he’d feel safe using Wolf’s oversized suit in an emergency. He said he’d get by and would feel comfortable about the situation, at least for a night. Mir commander Anatoly Solovev favored Thomas moving into Mir.

After conferring with their counterparts in Moscow, however, NASA flight controllers opted to have Thomas sleep aboard space shuttle Endeavour on Sunday night. And Wolf was instructed to sleep on Mir. That way, each crew could go its separate way if the shuttle had to depart suddenly.

An hour later, after further talks with Moscow, Mission Control announced that the two astronauts could, indeed, swap places. It was later declared to be an official crew exchange.

The problem with Wolf’s suit is that the sleeves are 6 inches too long for Thomas. Thomas is 5 foot 8 and weighs 160 pounds; Wolf is 5 foot 10 and weighs 185 pounds.

Thomas said he believes that his spine stretched--a common occurrence in weightlessness. It could also be that his suit was not sized correctly before the flight, he said.

It is the first time an American has encountered such a problem in the two years shuttles have been dropping off astronauts at Mir.

Wolf said he plans to talk with Thomas about ways to cope with loneliness before Endeavour pulls away Thursday.

“You have to keep a good rational grip on your mind to hold those feelings at bay,” Wolf said.

Once Thomas is formally declared a Mir crew member, the 46-year-old Australian-born engineer will be the seventh and final NASA astronaut to live on the Russian space station.

“You know, you think you’re psychologically prepared, but things often turn around and surprise you,” Thomas said Sunday. “I think it’s going to be tough.”