Russian Cosmonauts Find Toxic Coolant 'Blob' While Inspecting Leaky Radiator
Two Russian cosmonauts on an ISS spacewalk found a toxic 'blob' while inspecting a radiator coolant leak. Collected data will be examined by engineers to determine the cause of the leak.
During a recent spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS), two cosmonauts had a close encounter with a coolant leak that was previously detected flowing from an external radiator, earlier this month. The spacewalk reportedly took place on October 25, 2023, and was conducted by Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of the Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos, as part of Expedition 70. Their primary task was to isolate and document the radiator, which had been leaking coolant since October 9. This radiator serves as a backup to the main body radiator that regulates temperature within Russia’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.
To address the issue, Kononenko and Chub worked on configuring various valves to disconnect the external radiator from its supply of ammonia. However, during the operation, they noticed the accumulation of liquid coolant, which they referred to as a ‘blob’ or ‘droplet,’ as reported by Space. Kononenko also observed numerous small holes in the radiator’s panels.
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“The holes have very even edges like they’ve been drilled through," Kononenko reportedly told the flight controllers working in Moscow Mission Control. “There are lots of them. They are spread in a chaotic manner."
The blob appeared to have formed from residual ammonia that was disturbed during the valve closure process. Knowing they might come into contact with this toxic substance, the cosmonauts were prepared with tissues and cloths to clean their spacesuits and tools to prevent any contamination within the ISS.
The data collected during the spacewalk will be examined by Russian engineers on the ground to determine the cause of the leak and the necessary steps to restore the radiator for future use, reports Space.
Additionally, besides inspecting the radiator, Kononenko and Chub reportedly worked on installing a synthetic radar communications system and released a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology. The radar, according to Space, was intended for monitoring Earth’s environment and was the first scientific payload mounted on the Nauka module’s exterior.
They also released a cube-shaped nanosatellite developed by a team from Bauman Moscow State Technical University to test an experimental solar sail deployment method. As per the reports, despite the nanosatellite being successfully released, the solar wings did not extend as planned.
The spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 41 minutes, concluding when the airlock hatch of the Poisk module was closed at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 25th. This was reportedly the 268th extravehicular activity (EVA) in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
According to Space, it was the first spacewalk for Nikolai Chub and the sixth for Oleg Kononenko, who has now spent a total of 41 hours and 43 minutes working in Orlan spacesuits in space.
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