Russian cosmonauts on ISS spacewalk find 'blob' while inspecting radiator coolant leak
Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub inspecting the leak
After the Russian section of the International Space Station (ISS) experienced a radiator coolant leak on October 9, two cosmonauts in a spacewalk sought to investigate it.During the spacewalk, cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of the Russian space agency Roscosmos conducted their extravehicular activity (EVA) with the primary objective of identifying and documenting the radiator responsible for the leak.
As they approached the radiator, Kononenko came so close that his tether got contaminated by the pooling ammonia, also known as 'blob' or 'droplet'. As a result, the tether had to be secured in a bag and left outside the ISS when the spacewalk concluded.
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The cosmonauts began their mission by isolating and photographing the radiator.
This involved configuring valves to disconnect the radiator from its ammonia supply, which was serving as a backup to the main body radiator regulating the temperature in Russia's Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.
After completing this task, they found a growing deposit of liquid coolant. Kononenko noticed numerous small holes on the radiator's surface, describing them as "very even edges, like they've been drilled through."
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Contaminant management
Given the potential contact with the coolant, the cosmonauts were well-prepared. They had tissues and cloths at hand to clean their spacesuits and tools, ensuring that they did not bring any toxic material back inside the space station.
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Russian engineers on the ground will now utilise this data collected during the spacewalk to further investigate the cause of the coolant leak and determine the necessary steps to restore the radiator for future use.
The spacewalk, lasting 7 hours and 41 minutes, concluded with the closing of the hatch to the Poisk module airlock at 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 GMT on Oct. 26).
This mission marked the 268th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
(With inputs from agencies)