Dutch Astronaut Andre Kuipers has admitted that he accidently called the American emergency services whilst in orbit during his time aboard the International Space Station.
The 60-year-old astronaut, who spent over 200 days circling the globe over two separate missions in 2004 and 2011, admitted to the ‘mishap’ during an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS.
He said: “If you’re in space, it’s like you’re making a call via Houston, first you dial the 9 for an external line and then 011 for an international line”.
However, during one such call, Kuipers had omitted the zero when trying to call an external line.
As a result of the ‘keying error’ an alarm was activated in the Johnson Space Centre and a security team rushed to the control room where the call had ended up.
Mr Kuipers said: “The next day I received a message: Did you call 911?”.
It is not known as to how the rest of the conversation went down, but you can just imagine the look on the face of a 911 operator had the call made it through to them:
“911, whats your emergency?”
“Ah, sorry – I dialled the wrong number – I’m in space”.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.
Its first component launched into orbit in 1998, with the first long-term residents arriving in November 2000.
It has been inhabited continuously since that date.
The last pressurised module was fitted in 2011, and an experimental inflatable space habitat was added in 2016.
The station is expected to operate until 2030

If you have a story, video or one-off blog that you would like to share with us, then you can contact our team of former emergency services & armed forces personnel either through our Facebook page, via twitter ( @ES_News_ ) or you can contact us via email: contact@emergency-services.news
If you run or manage a ‘job’ social media account and you would like us to share one of your stories then send us a tweet or a message!
If you would like to write an article that you would like us to share (it can be about anything to do with the emergency services / NHS) whether you serve in the emergency services / NHS or whether you are a member of the public that has had a good experience with the emergency services, then feel free to contact our team; anonymously if you prefer.
We are proud to act as a voice for the Emergency Services & Health Service, with over 500,000 people visiting our website each month.
Before you go...
WE NEED YOUR HELP.Here at Emergency Services News, we aim to tell you stories that the mainstream media are not interested in reporting. Whilst the MSM love to berate and ridicule the emergency services, who is there to report on the realities of serving on the front line?
Emergency Services News is currently a loss-making entity. But our team of volunteers, all former emergency services personnel, do not do it for the money.
We do it because we are sick and tired of the mainstream media constantly trying to undermine the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep you and your family safe.
How many MSM journalists who speak ill of the emergency services have actually dared to don the uniform and risk their own lives to save the life of a complete stranger? If you would like to help back our mission of reporting on fact-based news, then please consider helping to support us financially.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.