Robert L. Curbeam, Jr.

NASA is incorporating changes to its spacewalk procedures after a small cut to the glove of an astronaut was discovered after an International Space Station (ISS) assembly mission last December.Astronaut Robert "Beamer" Curbeam incurred the three-quarter inch (2 cm) cut to the protective outer fabric layer of his right glove sometime during the transfer of three bundles of external shielding from the shuttle Discovery to the ISS on Dec. 16, said NASA spokeswoman Brandi Dean.• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Space Center.The nick, which did not pose any risk to Curbeam, was not discovered until inspections of the suit and other equipment in February.VectranThe bulky gloves worn by astronauts during spacewalks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs), consist of five layers.An outermost lamination layer covers part of the glove and is used to enhance grip and provide thermal protection; this layer sloughs off fairly regularly, Dean said.Beneath the lamination layer is a strong Vectran fibe...

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