.
The International Space Station is imagined from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour throughout a fly around of the orbiting lab that occurred following its undocking from the Harmony modules space-facing port on November 8, 2021. Credit: NASA.
NASA found a leak from Roscosmos Naukas backup radiator on the International Space Station; investigations are underway.
Today, at approximately 1 p.m. EDT, flight controllers in objective control at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston made a concerning observation. Utilizing cameras on the International Space Station (ISS) exterior, they observed flakes emanating from one of two radiators on the Roscosmos Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM).
Roscosmos verified that the observed leak is on Naukas backup radiator, which is installed to the exterior of the module. The radiator was delivered to the area station on the Rassvet module throughout space shuttle objective STS-132 in 2010. The primary radiator on Nauka is working usually, providing full cooling to the module with no effects to the crew or to area station operations.
Immediately, the flight control team informed the team aboard the area station of the possible leak. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli validated the presence of the flakes from the cupola windows, after which the team was asked to close the shutters on U.S. section windows as a preventative measure against contamination.
The crew aboard the station was never in any threat.
Expedition 67 Flight Engineers Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, both from NASA, are visualized keeping an eye out from a window on the cupola, the International Space Stations “window to the world.” Credit: NASA.
The radiator was delivered to the space station on the Rassvet module throughout area shuttle bus objective STS-132 in 2010. The primary radiator on Nauka is working normally, supplying complete cooling to the module with no effects to the team or to area station operations.
Teams on the ground will continue to examine the reason for the leakage. As additional information emerge, extra updates will be provided.