The International Space Station crew on Thursday was repairing a small "leak" most likely caused by a collision with a small meteorite, the head of the Russian space agency said, adding the incident presented no danger.

"Overnight and in the morning there was an abnormal situation -- a pressure drop, an oxygen leak at the station," Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

"A micro fracture was found, most likely it is damage from the outside. The design engineers believe it is the result of a micrometeorite," he said.

He said the fracture was found on the Soyuz ship that brought astronauts to the ISS in June for a six-month mission and is currently docked with the space station. The fracture will be patched from the inside, he said.

NASA confirmed the problem, saying it consisted of a "minute pressure leak" and that the crew was repairing it.

"The leak has been isolated to a hole about two millimetres in diameter" and slowed through application of thermoresistant tape, but a more permanent solution was in development.

Six men are currently orbiting Earth aboard the ISS, including NASA astronauts Drew Feustel, Ricky Arnold and Serena Aunon, as well as Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency and two Russian cosmonauts -- Oleg Artemyev and Sergei Prokopyev.

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Students experience the power of controlling satellites in space
Houston TX (SPX) Aug 28, 2018
Earth-bound electronic games can't compete with actually controlling a squadron of miniature robotic satellites in space. Through the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites- Zero Robotics (SPHERES-Zero-Robotics) challenge, students compete to experience this power and excitement. Using a trio of autonomous satellites on the International Space Station, SPHERES-Zero-Robotics gives students the chance to develop software to guide robots through a virtual obstacle course ... read more