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

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.

Comments

Finally

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Working on a more comprehensive repair

[olsmeister]

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

Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair

[Mr D from 63]

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

Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair

[Gabest]

Sound like a real job for FLEX TAPE.

Re: Working on a more comprehensive repair

[cavreader]

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

Re:Working on a more comprehensive repair

[Applehu Akbar]

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.

Re: Working on a more comprehensive repair

[pr0fessor]

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.

NASA Link to the story

[mykepredko]

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.

Re:NASA Link to the story

[MirthScout]

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.

Hmmm.

[msauve]

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

Re:Don't worry

[Nidi62]

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.