NASA has been forced to cancel a spacewalk that was scheduled for Thursday due to a leak of ammonia coolant on the International Space Station (ISS). The leak was discovered in a backup radiator on the Russian Nauka science module, and NASA is currently examining data and video to determine the cause.
This is not the first time that Russian ISS equipment has experienced a coolant leak. In fact, it is the third leak in the past year. However, officials from both NASA and Roscosmos have assured that the leak has not had any significant impact on the operations of the space station.
The canceled spacewalk was supposed to involve collecting samples to analyze the existence of microorganisms on the outside of the ISS. Additionally, the astronauts were planning to replace a high-definition camera to aid in future moon exploration. The postponement of this spacewalk has also affected a second U.S. segment maintenance spacewalk planned for later this month. If it proceeds, this second spacewalk would be the second all-woman spacewalk.
In response to the coolant leak, Russian cosmonauts are planning a spacewalk on October 25th. During this spacewalk, they will inspect the radiator and report their findings back to Moscow for further analysis. Furthermore, they will also be installing a radar on the Nauka module for Earth observation and launching a student nanosatellite for solar sailing testing.
As of now, NASA has not announced any new dates for the postponed spacewalks. However, they are working alongside their Russian counterparts to resolve the issue and ensure the safety and effectiveness of future missions.
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