ISS: Russian cargo capsule spreads foul odor, hatch closed again
There has been another problem with Russian technology on the ISS. The smell on board a space capsule was so bad that the hatch was closed again.
The space capsule before arriving at the ISS
(Image: NASA TV)
A cargo spaceship from Russia docked at the International Space Station (ISS) at the weekend, spreading such an unpleasant odor that the hatch had to be closed again immediately. Several air purification systems were activated until the problem was supposedly resolved. This was announced by NASA on Monday night; the incident occurred on Saturday evening. It is unclear what exactly is responsible for the "unexpected odor" and droplets floating around in the space capsule, indicating possible contamination. According to RussianSpaceWeb.com, the smell was even "toxic", with US astronaut Don Pettit comparing it to spray paint over the radio.
Repeated problems with technology from Russia
The unmanned Progress 90 spacecraft arrived at the ISS on Saturday after a two-day flight and docked with the Poisk module in the Russian part of the space station. It has three tons of fuel, food and supplies on board. After the usual preparatory work, the hatch was then opened, only to be closed again immediately. According to the US space agency, cleaning systems were then activated and progress was checked using contaminant sensors. Over the course of Sunday, it was determined that the air quality inside the space station was "normal". There was no cause for concern for the crew and preparations had been underway since Sunday afternoon to reopen the hatch. The remaining activities were therefore proceeding normally.
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Such a foul smell on board a Russian space capsule that the hatch has to be closed again immediately is now the latest in a steadily growing series of problems with Russian technology in the operation of the ISS. Just a year ago, several coolant leaks caused problems of varying sizes. In one case, a replacement spaceship even had to be sent to the station to pick up stranded space travelers. There has also been a leak in the Russian segment of the ISS for years, and the Russian and US space agencies disagree on the seriousness of the problem. The background to the problems is apparently also the declining reliability of Russian space technology, also against the backdrop of sanctions.
(mho)
