This is not the first time ISS is the victim of an ammonia leak, but the damage was greater. In a day, nearly two kilograms escaped the defective pump. The six crew members had to react as quickly as the coolant is essential for the proper operation of the station. With NASA astronauts have therefore implemented a strategy to repair the leak. The leak was sudden, the crew found that small white flakes evaporated close to a structure of the ISS. With various images, they concluded that ammonia leak was present.
emergency exit, but risky
The task was therefore not prepared and included a number of risks. At 2:44 p.m. (Paris time), astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn embarked on an urgent repair that still lasted more than 5 hours. So they changed a pump 120 kilograms. One that was defective and the first analyzes do not precisely define the origins of the problem. Hardware malfunction would not be excluded, but scientists tend to favor the theory of a collision with a meteorite or orbital debris. This would also explain the suddenness of the ammonia leak.
ISS operational
The transaction was fast and resulted in success because the ISS astronauts works perfectly and found no leaks. This turn of events does not prevent the return to Earth of three crew members. Chris Hadfield, Tom Marshburn and Romanenko have gone back to our planet. Chris Hadfield was the first to communicate the repair of the ammonia leak. Very active on the Internet, he also posted on YouTube a resumption of Space Oddity by David Bowie. You can also see the pictures of the repair of the ammonia leak.
Two astronauts repair the leak
Inactive
Example: Benjamin read: ISS: An ammonia leak caused by a meteorite or debris Begeek.fr
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