After second spacewalk, astronaut reports water in helmet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacewalking astronauts breezed through a lube and cable job outside the International Space Station. But afterward, one of the men reported water in his helmet, scarily reminiscent of a near-drowning in orbit two years ago.

Astronaut Terry Virts reported the water while he waited in the air lock for Wednesday's spacewalk to formally conclude. The amount of water increased slightly, but he appeared to be in no immediate danger, said Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who helped to remove his suit.

In 2013, another Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano, barely got back into the space station after a considerable amount of water filled his helmet during a spacewalk. The water escaped from his suit's cooling system.

NASA spent months investigating the mishap, before clearing the way for more spacewalks.