Author Topic: Expedition 56 Thread - also covering the ISS leak  (Read 165315 times)

Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #180 on: 08/30/2018 10:13 am »
Reports of a leak being investigated on the ISS.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-iss-stream
Sounds like the leak is in the orbital module of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft and the crew has noticed at least two holes in the exterior of the module and have photographed them. Talking about taking out a repair kit.
« Last Edit: 08/30/2018 10:14 am by DaveS »
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #181 on: 08/30/2018 10:16 am »
The photos have been loaded aboard one of the Station Support Computers (SSCs) and are ready for downlink.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #182 on: 08/30/2018 10:19 am »
MCC-M suspects MMOD, not metal fatigue. Crew describes one of the holes as "a circular crack" (on the inside?). Also described as "not an entry hole but an exit hole".
« Last Edit: 08/30/2018 10:19 am by DaveS »
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
-USA engineer about the rollback of Discovery prior to the STS-114 Return To Flight mission

Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #183 on: 08/30/2018 10:21 am »
Additional photos have been downlinked using the same SSC, ID SSC-8.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
-USA engineer about the rollback of Discovery prior to the STS-114 Return To Flight mission

Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #184 on: 08/30/2018 10:22 am »
The Russians says that it looks like something inside the station caused the previously mentioned hole but they want MCC-M to check the photos to confirm.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
-USA engineer about the rollback of Discovery prior to the STS-114 Return To Flight mission

Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #185 on: 08/30/2018 10:28 am »
MCC-H have computed that based on a rough estimate of the leak rate, they have 18 days of reserve time. And they're currently fighting some Ku issues so they haven't been to take a look at the photos yet.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #186 on: 08/30/2018 10:33 am »
MCC-H advised the crew that the C&W system is about to toggle generating three "Caution" messages.
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #187 on: 08/30/2018 10:42 am »
TRDS hand-over so brief LOS. Ku issues have been resolved so the photos have arrived on the ground.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #188 on: 08/30/2018 10:55 am »
The crew has covered the suspected internal side of the leak with Kapton tape for now but it's just a band-aid solution as the leak is still there. A long-term fix still has to be found and implemented. It seems like this is what the previously computed 18 days of reserves was based on.
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #189 on: 08/30/2018 11:02 am »
This is from the official ISS blog on NASA.gov:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/08/30/international-space-station-status/

International Space Station Status
6 a.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 30. 2018

About 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday, International Space Station flight controllers in Houston and Moscow began seeing signs of a minute pressure leak in the complex.

As flight controllers monitored their data, the decision was made to allow the Expedition 56 crew to sleep since they were in no danger. When the crew was awakened at its normal hour this morning, flight controllers at Mission Control in Houston and at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow began working procedures to try to determine the location of the leak.

The six crew members, station Commander Drew Feustel, Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) and Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, gathered in the Russian segment of the station and, after extensive checks, reported that the leak appears to be on the Russian side of the orbital outpost.

Program officials and flight controllers are continuing to monitor the situation as the crew works through its troubleshooting procedures.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
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Offline Svetoslav

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #190 on: 08/30/2018 11:35 am »
I've also checked the Russian media... So far nobody has reported that the problem is located to the Soyuz craft... Meanwhile Interfax reports the leak has been fixed:

http://www.interfax.ru/world/627189

Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #191 on: 08/30/2018 11:36 am »
MCC-H reports that the pressure appear to have stabilized over the past 50 minutes. They wondered if the crew had done any more repair work on the hole, which they haven't. And Serena's PAO event later this afternoon has been cancelled.
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Offline DaveS

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #192 on: 08/30/2018 11:39 am »
The thinking is that the metal have contracted enough in the shade to close off the leak path.
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
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"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
-USA engineer about the rollback of Discovery prior to the STS-114 Return To Flight mission

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #193 on: 08/30/2018 11:40 am »
Russian ground controllers say they are now into a deep dive evaluation of the hole. Sergey Prokopyev is still trying to hunt down a repair kit. They have taped the hole as a band aid. Plan is to clean up the area and add more permanent patches.
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Online Jeff Lerner

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #194 on: 08/30/2018 11:45 am »
Probably going to need a discussion thread on this event but in the meantime ...

What patching material is available aboard Station or Soyuz to effect a repair ??...Has this ever been done before...?

The holes being in the Soyuz orbital module, I'm guessing that's the best of the worst cases with no impact to the crew compartment or service module compartment ?

What are the mission rules for this type of event..??..early return of a crew on that Soyuz ??

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #195 on: 08/30/2018 12:27 pm »
Tape alone may not seal the leak path. They are talking about putting some plastic into the area of the bulkhead and tape it up (around) that way, watching as they go with a probe (per the translator).

MCC-Moscow responds with "Doesn't hurt to try!"
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Offline woods170

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #196 on: 08/30/2018 12:30 pm »
Probably going to need a discussion thread on this event but in the meantime ...

What patching material is available aboard Station or Soyuz to effect a repair ??...Has this ever been done before...?

The holes being in the Soyuz orbital module, I'm guessing that's the best of the worst cases with no impact to the crew compartment or service module compartment ?

What are the mission rules for this type of event..??..early return of a crew on that Soyuz ??

Remember that Progress smashing into Mir in June 1997? Well, the Russians learned from that. Repair kits were re-developed afterwards to improve on what was already present on Mir in 1997.

Contingency return of crew only happens in case of a major leak that immediately threatens the station and its residents. But this particular leak is minute in nature.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #197 on: 08/30/2018 01:04 pm »
Now told to use a toothpick on the hole (likely to aid photography and scale). Then will apply sealant and cover it with a patch. General ISS pressure is holding stable now.
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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #198 on: 08/30/2018 01:20 pm »
Russians breaking for lunch :)
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: Expedition 56 Thread
« Reply #199 on: 08/30/2018 01:31 pm »
Alex chimed in with some repair suggestions, rubber hose, catheter, piece of rubber...
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

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