Quest airlock with malfunctioning EMU

ISS036-E-037249 (27 Aug. 2013) --- The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit helmet ? worn by European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano during a July 16 spacewalk that was cut short when the helmet began to fill with water ? is captured in a close-up image in the Quest airlock of the International Space Station. After assembling and powering up the empty suit as if it were about to go out on another spacewalk, Parmitano and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy (both out of frame), both Expedition 36 flight engineers, observed water once again leaking into the helmet. With the issue reproduced, NASA now has a baseline configuration for the crew to begin swapping out parts for additional tests to pinpoint the problem. There are also opportunities to either launch replacement parts on upcoming cargo flights or return parts to Earth for further study once more is known about the cause of the issue.

Photographer Karen Nyberg