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Small Leak Discovered on Russian Side of International Space Station, NASA Says (go.com)

Posted by msmash on from the meanwhile-in-space dept.

A small pressure leak was discovered on the International Space Station, according to NASA. From a report: Flight controllers at mission control centers in Houston and Moscow began seeing signs of the leak Wednesday night when the six-member crew aboard the orbital outpost were asleep. Flight controllers monitored the situation until the crew awakened at their normal time Thursday morning "since they were in no danger," NASA said in a media release. Crew members then conducted "extensive checks" to determine the location of the leak, which appears to be on the Russian side of the space station. They initially slowed the leak with Kapton tape and are working on a more comprehensive repair, according to NASA. "Program officials and flight controllers are continuing to monitor the situation as the crew works through its troubleshooting procedures," NASA said.

28 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I knew you people were wrong about Russian leaks. Look, here's proof!!!

  2. Working on a more comprehensive repair by olsmeister · · Score: 4, Funny

    They initially slowed the leak with Kapton tape and are working on a more comprehensive repair, according to NASA

    1. Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 3, Funny

      There may be more leaks. Someone needs to go outside and brush soapy water over the whole station.

    2. Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair by Gabest · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sound like a real job for FLEX TAPE.

    3. Re: Working on a more comprehensive repair by Miamicanes · · Score: 2

      Proof that most of life's problems can be solved with duct tape or WD-40.

      https://thursdayagain.wordpres...

    4. Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair by SWPadnos · · Score: 2

      Or light a torch inside and see which way the smoke goes.

      --
      - The Sigless Wonder
    5. Re: Working on a more comprehensive repair by cavreader · · Score: 3, Funny

      If duct tape doesn't fix your problem then you are not using enough duct tape.

    6. Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A leak should, by applying a minute thrust to the station, cause it to spin. Observe the degree of spin carefully to determine the location of the leak. Reaction wheels or thruster self-corrrects would have to be turned off while this test is in progress.

    7. Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      Spotted the Safelite Auto Glass rep!

    8. Re: Working on a more comprehensive repair by pr0fessor · · Score: 5, Funny

      When I was in college I JB welded a quarter to the sidewalk and watched people try to pick it up and kick it loose for weeks until one day it was gone along with a chunk of concrete.

  3. NASA Link to the story by mykepredko · · Score: 4, Informative

    https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacest...

    The link is in a Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft that docked with the ISS on June 6th and brought up Sergey Prokopyev, Alexander Gerst and Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor.

    I will be interested in hearing what the "more comprehensive long-term repair" will be as I presume the spacecraft will be returning to earth at some point with the astronauts and since the leak is located in a part of the spacecraft that does not return to Earth (I'm guessing it burns up in the atmosphere) then I can't imagine anything more than keeping the opening from propagating will be required.

    It will be interesting to hear what is the source of the leak - it is apparently 2mm in diameter and I'm wondering if this would be a meteorite or a piece of space debris.

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:NASA Link to the story by arth1 · · Score: 2

      It will be interesting to hear what is the source of the leak - it is apparently 2mm in diameter and I'm wondering if this would be a meteorite or a piece of space debris.

      Interesting. To me, an earthling and not a spaceman, that seems like a rather large hole given the pressure differentials. I'm surprised that it didn't lead to an immediate alert - how would they know it was a hole that would stay a hole, and not say a crack that could suddenly widen? I'm sure they know what they're doing, quite well, but I'd like to read more about this and how they reached the conclusion that it was safe to let them sleep.

    2. Re:NASA Link to the story by MirthScout · · Score: 3, Informative

      The Soyuz has 3 sections: orbital module, descent module, and service module.
      After undocking the Soyuz will fire its engines to deorbit. Before re-entry, both the orbital module and service module will be jettisoned and will burn up on re-entry. The descent module survives re-entry and parachutes to a landing.

      The orbital module and descent module are both pressurised. The article's wording might be considered to be wrong since it could be argued that even the 2 modules that burn up actually return to earth. Based on the article and design of the Soyuz, they are implying the leak is on the orbital module.

      So, the problem will be solved when the Soyuz undocks.

    3. Re:NASA Link to the story by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      It will be interesting to hear what is the source of the leak

      This would be literally another means of detecting: listen for a faint whistle.

    4. Re:NASA Link to the story by Luckyo · · Score: 2

      More from the story:

      >Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin, the head of Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, said the issue was an air leak due to a tiny fracture on the Russian manned Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which docked at the International Space Station in early June.

      >"A micro-fracture was found. Most likely this is external damage. Designers believe this is the result of a micro-meteorite," Rogozin told reporters Thursday, according to state-run Russian news agency TASS. "The lives and the health of the crew members are not threatened and the spacecraft will most likely be preserved as a result of using a repair tool kit for localizing this leak."

      So they have specialized kit for this kind of repair work.

    5. Re:NASA Link to the story by mysidia · · Score: 2

      So, the problem will be solved when the Soyuz undocks.

      Perhaps.... given the stakes involved; I wonder why (even while docked) the Soyuz pressurized environment wouldn't be kept ordinarily separated from the station's pressurized environment to minimize potential for a catastrophic leak from one craft affecting the entire station's, especially while they are sleeping on station...

    6. Re:NASA Link to the story by Sooner+Boomer · · Score: 2

      It will be interesting to hear what is the source of the leak

      This would be literally another means of detecting: listen for a faint whistle.

      Small leaks like this typically cause an ulrasonic whistle, which is very directional. Easily detected with proper equipment.

      --
      Chaos maximizes locally around me.
    7. Re:NASA Link to the story by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      And as every organist knows, the frequency would be a function of the hole size. If your detector hears a chord, it's bad news.

    8. Re:NASA Link to the story by Lando17 · · Score: 2

      Fracture mechanics. Pressure vessels are designed to "leak before break". By design, a small hole will not turn into a large fracture on ISS or any other modern spacecraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  4. Hmmm. by msauve · · Score: 4, Funny

    Russian side, colluding with the US? Must be a Wikileak!

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  5. Re: Flex Seal Spray by Miamicanes · · Score: 2

    Outgassing might be a concern. Even if not directly harmful, it could stink up the place for a REALLY long time.

  6. How long... by Martin+S. · · Score: 2

    ... before Trump denies this Russian Leak?

    In the UK, Trump is slang for a noise fart, what yanks call passing gas. So many memic possibilities

    1. Re:How long... by ooloorie · · Score: 2

      In the UK, Trump is slang for a noise fart, what yanks call passing gas.

      And that perfectly characterizes what has become of that nation of scientists and philosophers: a nation of tabloid-obsessed geezers making fart jokes about foreign leaders.

  7. Re:Don't worry by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comrade Putin has already announced his plan to repair the station. At this very moment he is taking time away from his hiking vacation to find suitably-sized rocks - once he has a good one, he will throw it up to the station with such strength and accuracy that the rock will seal the leak!

    If Putin were to fix the leak, he would do it right. He'd be out there doing an EVA shirtless patching it himself.

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  8. Send in the SPACE FORCE!!! by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

    I'm sure Trump will fix the problem, we all know how much he hates LEAKS!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  9. Re:Don't worry by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2

    Let's be realistic, he can't do an EVA shirtless. He'd use a spacesuit with a transparent upper section.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  10. Someone had to say it by dhaen · · Score: 2

    Shame there's not a Dutch astronaut aboard. You know, the kind with experience of putting their finger in dykes.

  11. Re:Don't worry by ClickOnThis · · Score: 2

    Let's be realistic, he can't do an EVA shirtless. He'd use a spacesuit with a transparent upper section.

    It's Putin. If anyone can pull off a shirtless EVA, he would. Putin is the Chuck Norris of shirtlessness.

    Putin would use Chuck Norris to plug the leak. And then the ISS would explode because it could not withstand the presence of his sheer awesomeness.

    --
    If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.