Space & Astronomy

ISS ammonia leak forces US crew evacuation

By T.K. Randall
January 14, 2015

Image: International Space Station
Credit: (PD) NASA A dramatic turn of events aboard the orbital outpost this morning saw part of the station being evacuated after an ammonia leak rendered the American sector temporarily uninhabitable.

"The safety of the crew has been secured by prompt joint action by the US and Russian crewmembers, as well as by mission control staff in Moscow and Houston," said Maksim Matyushin, head of the Russian Mission Control Center.Reports suggest that the contaminated area has been sealed off and that the atmosphere aboard the rest of the station is both stable and within acceptable air pollutant levels.

"We analyzed the situation," said Roskosmos head Oleg Ostapenko. "The crew is safe."

It is likely that an unscheduled spacewalk will be needed in order to repair the leak from the outside.

Source: Russia Today

Tags: ISS, Space Station