Soyuz Capsule Hit by Micrometeorite, Leaks Ammonia
c0lo writes:
A coolant leak from a Russian space capsule attached to the International Space Station (ISS) was likely caused by a micrometeorite strike, a Russian space official says.
Russia's space corporation Roscosmos and NASA have both said the incident hasn't posed any danger to the station's crew.
However, the leak prompted a pair of Russian cosmonauts to abort a planned spacewalk earlier on Thursday.
[...] As Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin were about to venture outside the station on a planned spacewalk, ground specialists saw a stream of fluid and particles on a live video feed from space, along with a pressure drop on instruments, emanating from the Soyuz capsule.
Mr Prokopyev, Mr Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio used the capsule to arrive at the ISS in September, and it serves as a lifeboat for the crew.
Mr Krikalev said the station's future operations would depend on an assessment of the capsule's condition.
"Decisions about the future flight program will be made on the basis of that analysis," he said.
About 1 minute excerpt from NASA's live channel showing the leak (and no sound, hence the dept line)
Radiator Leak From Russian ISS Module Leaves Spacewalkers Cooling Their HeelsRadiator leak from Russian ISS module leaves spacewalkers cooling their heels:
The Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft launched from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on September 21st, carrying the two cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio. The Russian space agency added that "a decision will be made" about the cosmonauts' future aboard the ISS. A spacewalk scheduled for Dec. 21 is postponed indefinitely as the investigation continues.
Russia's war in Ukraine has complicated (to say the least) the relationship between NASA and Roscosmos. Earlier this year, Russia said it would pull out of the ISS after 2024 and focus on launching its own space station. Although removing Russia from the ISS would throw a tremendous wrench into the program, the US reportedly had contingency plans even before the invasion.
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