The International Space Station records a new coolant leak from the Russian side, but there is no danger – Science

The Russian Space Agency confirmed on Monday that the crew of the International Space Station is not in danger. Despite a new coolant leak, which is the third accident of its kind in less than a year.

“Hey The Nauka unit of the Russian segment of EEI suffered from a coolant leak from the external circuit [de emergência] The chiller installed at the station in 2012“, Roscosmos said on the social network Telegram.

According to the Russian agency, there are no threats to “the crew and the station.”

“Hey The main thermal control circuit of the unit operates normally and ensures comfortable conditions in the living area of ​​the unitHe confirmed.

There are currently seven people on board EEI: Three Russians, two Americans, one Dane and one Japanese.

Broadcasts with EEI are partly broadcast live over the Internet, and at the end of the day, a The operator of the control center on Earth asked part of the crew to go to the observation dome that allows the astronauts to see outside.

“There is a leak coming from the MLM coolant.” [Módulo de Laboratório Multiuso, outro nome para o segmento Nauka]Astronaut Yasmine Moghbeli later said.

a NASA did not immediately issue an official statement about the accident.Which has been recorded frequently recently.

in December, The Soyuz MS-22 space capsule attached to the International Space Station suffered a coolant leak due to a small meteorite impact.According to Moscow, which decided to send the MS-22 as an alternative.

this The accident forced two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to stay put longer than expected On board EEI. They finally returned to Earth safely at the end of September.

One A hack similar to the December incident also affected other Russian infrastructure in mid-FebruaryThe cargo ship Progress MS-21 was docked at EEI, but was not intended to carry passengers.

“With three refrigerant leaks, there is a common theme: one is none, two are coincidental, three are systemicJonathan McDowell, an astronomer and space analyst, explained to AFP in Washington. For McDowell, these incidents show “the deteriorating reliability of Russian space systems.”

The Russian space sector, which has historically been the country’s pride, has been struggling for years. Between lack of funding, failure and corruption scandals.

The International Space Station constitutes one of the few areas of cooperation that is still continuing between Moscow and Washington since the beginning of the Russian attack in Ukraine and the international sanctions that followed.