Ammonia Leak Observed Outside Station

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Ammonia Leak Observed Outside Station

At around 10:30 a.m. CDT on Thursday, the Expedition 35 crew reported seeing small white flakes floating away from an area of the International Space Station’s P6 truss structure. The crew used handheld cameras and Mission Control used external television cameras to gain additional imagery in an attempt to narrow down the leak’s location.

The crew reports, along with imagery and data received by flight controllers in Mission Control in Houston, confirmed that the rate of the ammonia leaking from this section of the cooling system has increased. Ammonia is used to cool the station’s power channels that provide electricity to station systems.

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[sear]

Space station springs a leak; NASA preps spacewalk to fix it

NASA says station crew not in danger but ammonia leak could force cooling loop shutdown by Saturday

Computerworld - Astronauts on board the International Space Station are preparing for a possible spacewalk tomorrow to repair an ammonia leak.

The space agency reported late Thursday that space station crew members had reported seeing small, white flakes floating away from part of the space station's backbone earlier in the day.

NASA confirmed that ammonia was leaking from the station and that the size of the leak is increasing.

The station's six crew members are not in danger and the orbiter continues to operate normally, according to the space agency.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239093/Space_station_springs_a_leak_NASA_preps_spacewalk_to_fix_it

Any guess what caused this leak?

Thermal expansion & shrinkage?

A micro-meteor?

How safe will the repairmen be, if they EVA?

Will they repair it successfully?

[Dark_Grey]

I can't imagine the stress of having to repair something like that!

"Space is death and disease, wrapped in darkness and silence" - Leonard McKoy

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Station Ammonia Leak Prompts Spacewalk Preps

Aboard the International Space Station a leak of ammonia coolant was detected on May 9, coming from a location on the station's P6 truss.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Saturday Spacewalk to Troubleshoot Ammonia Leak Approved

International Space Station managers and the international partners approved plans late Friday for a spacewalk Saturday by Expedition 35 crew members Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn out of the Quest airlock of the U.S. segment of the complex to inspect and possibly replace a pump controller box on the station’s far port truss (P6) suspected of leaking ammonia coolant. Final approval to conduct the spacewalk came after a day-long review of procedures and the crew’s preparations to support the excursion.

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