"""
"""
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.
"""
leak rate is .6mm per hour
"""
Russians sound super chilled. US side less so.

US Side of the Station (while the Russians tuck into their lunch) stressing they are still seeing "a constant depress". Leak rate is varying. Again, it's still a tiny leak.
"""
MCC-Moscow is recommending 10mm re-pressurization from a Progress
"""
>Is there a way for them to get access to the actual pressure vessel bulkhead to patch it up? Or inject some kind of expansive foam into the area that would plug it up?

Not really. From the appearance of the hole (images not available here), it might not necessarily be related to whatever pressure shell penetration is actually causing the leak. The hole seen in imagery is in secondary structure and -- from troubleshooting efforts -- certainly appears to be part of the leak path, but that doesn't mean the pressure shell hole is directly behind it. Contrary to initial reports, the hole visible to the crew is not indicative of an MMOD strike. Whether an MMOD strike cause the pressure shell penetration is not yet clear.
"""
The crew is preparing sealant, readying some tape (patches from a medical case). So that's the repair plan. Tape/Patches/Sealant.
"""
NASA astro Drew Feustel is concerned about the Russian sealant plan and wants it passed on to MCC-Moscow. "We've got one shot at this and we don't want to screw it up". He wants a temp solution and then review for a permanent fix. Russians want to go for a permanent fix today.
"""
>Do they actually have access to the Soyuz pressure shell to patch the hole?

The reporting is very confusing. They are talking about a hole in the secondary structure (some lining from inside the Soyuz?) At the same time, they are talking about a 1.5mm-sized crack in Russian media, which suggests the crack is on the pressure shell (otherwise, the size wouldn't have mattered).
"""
Drew is not happy. "I guess Moscow isn't interested (in his comments). What does Houston think? Can we have 24 hours?"

MCC-H: "We're trying to get more info out of Moscow before we're onboard with this plan."
"""
Drew wins!
MCC-Moscow just told the cosmonauts "to hold for US experts". Want more photos. Hold on the sealant plan.
"""
Wow! Long conversation about "Our partners have doubts" ends with "OK, we'll prepare the sealant".

And Drew sounds really down. And just asked "So I guess they are going with that plan after all".

MCC-H "We're still asking questions, but yes".
"""
International Space Station Status

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/08/30/international-space-station-status-2/

11:20 a.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 30. 2018

The crew aboard the International Space Station is conducting troubleshooting and repair work today after the discovery of a tiny leak last night traced to the Russian segment of the orbital complex.

The leak, which was detected Wednesday night by flight controllers as the Expedition 56 crew slept, resulted in a small loss of cabin pressure. Flight controllers determined there was no immediate danger to the crew overnight. Upon waking at their normal hour, the crew’s first task was to work with flight controllers at Mission Control in Houston and at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow to locate the source of the leak.

The leak has been isolated to a hole about two millimeters in diameter in the orbital compartment, or upper section, of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft attached to the Rassvet module of the Russian segment. This is a section of the Soyuz that does not return to Earth.

The rate of the leak was slowed this morning through the temporary application of Kapton tape at the leak site. Flight controllers are working with the crew to develop a more comprehensive long-term repair.

Once the patching is complete, additional leak checks will be performed. All station systems are stable, and the crew is in no danger as the work to develop a long-term repair continues.
"""
Wow....Isn't Drew the current ISS Commander ??...doesn't he have any say as the on board, on site commander ??..if he's not happy about the current situation why is he being overridden ..?
"""
He's the ISS Commander but the leak is in a Russian Soyuz. And each Soyuz has its own Commander very much like the shuttle did. The station and the visiting vehicles are considered separate entities.
"""
Saturating a wipe in sealant and pushing it into the hole. More sealant on the end of the wipe.
"""
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43736.180
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43736.180

Labels: Oleg Zabluda

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