Spacewalkers Shane Kimbrough and Steve Bowen are cutting short their excursion outside the International Space Station because carbon dioxide levels inside Kimbrough's suit are approaching dangerous levels.Flight surgeons in NASA's Mission Control Center told Kimbrough to take it easy as he heads back to the U.S. Quest airlock -- an attempt to lower CO2 levels in the suit. High CO2 concentrations can cause dizziness and headaches. People can have trouble seeing and hearing, and high concentrations also can render people unconscious within minutes.
The concentrations within Kimbrough's suit were caused by heavy breathing prompted by the difficult spacewalking work the astronauts have tackled.
The astronauts already have finished most if not all planned work, so mission managers decided the prudent course would be to send Kimbrough and Bowen back to safe haven in the station's American airlock.
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