![]() ![]() Since 1999, the ISS has had to perform over 20 maneuvers to avoid colliding with space junk. However, it is still a reminder of the danger that space debris poses to astronauts. The Canadian robotic arm conducts regular maintenance checks and operations outside of the ISS, like moving supplies, equipment and even performing “cosmic catches” of visiting vehicles.įortunately, no vital damage was done to the arm’s components, and only the thermal covering was affected. May 2021Ī routine inspection revealed that a piece of orbiting debris punched a five-millimeter-wide hole in Canadarm2. The equipment should’ve been used for 15 years only, but it is now over 20 years old, which eventually might threaten the security of the crew and the ISS. “All modules of the Russian segment are exhausted,” she said. Veteran Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who holds the world record for most days spent in space, recognizes that the equipment aboard the ISS is well past its utility date. Even though a second system operating normally compensated for the failure of the first one, and no crew member was actually in danger, the lack of oxygen in space is not something to take lightly. ![]() October 2020Īn oxygen supply system failed on the Russian Zvezda module. At the time, experts debated whether it was caused by a micrometeoroid impact, a production error, or a technician that might’ve drilled it by accident (or not). The causes that led to the appearance of the hole are still unknown. While not an immediate cause for caution at the moment, uncontrolled depressurization could lead to many worrying consequences, from equipment malfunction to hypoxia on crew members. The Top 5 “Houston, We Have a Problem…” Events on the ISS August 2018Ī small puncture hole found in one of the Russian Soyuz capsules caused a loss in cabin pressure. Even though no fatalities ever occurred on the space station, astronauts have had their fair share of worrying moments. Radiation, fire, space junk, and debris are only a few of them. Many different dangers surround the ISS constantly. It allowed us to have an ongoing presence in Earth’s orbit and granted us the opportunity to conduct important space research that could benefit people on Earth and facilitate further space exploration. The International Space Station has allowed people to live in space since the first crew arrived in 2000. A similar accident occurred less than three months ago, leading us to question what kind of hazards the ISS actually faces and how many times it has been in real danger. This isn’t the first time a Russian spacecraft was involved in an unexpected thruster incident that could potentially put the ISS in danger. He added that “Moscow is checking into it and doing their data analysis.” According to The New York Times, he said : “We think - and we haven’t got confirmation - we think the thrusters stopped firing because they reached their prop limit”. ![]() NASA’s flight director even has his own theory as to why the thrusters shut down. However, NASA and Roscosmos (Russia’s federal space agency) are looking into the situation. The fact that the thrusters stopped firing on their own also poses a mystery. It is currently unknown why the thrusters fired for a longer duration. “The crew was awake at the time of the event and was not in any danger.” “Within 30 minutes, flight controllers regained attitude control of the space station, which is now in a stable configuration,” they added. However, control was regained not long after, and the situation stabilized. The ISS was pushed away from regular orientation by 57 degrees, which resulted in a loss of attitude control. “The thruster firing unexpectedly continued after the end of the test window, resulting in a loss of attitude control for the International Space Station at 5:13 AM,” NASA officials wrote in an update. However, they managed to continue working on their own, even after the test was over. On October 15th, at 5:02 AM (EDT), the Russian Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft fired up its thrusters in a planned test before its departure. However, the thruster firing continued after the test was over, provoking a loss of attitude control for the ISS and briefly tilting it.Ībord this spacecraft were cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, film director Klim Shipenko, and actor Yulia Peresild, scheduled to return to Earth this past Sunday. The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft fired its thrusters in a planned pre-departure test on October 15th. A Russian spacecraft had the International Space Station briefly losing control. ![]()
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