ISS had a leak caused by Russian orbital module

[Grendal]

Astronauts at the International Space Station are working to repair a small leak that was discovered at the orbiting laboratory Wednesday night (Aug. 29). While the leak caused a slight drop in cabin pressure, it did not pose an immediate danger to the astronauts currently living aboard the station, NASA officials said.

Small Air Leak Detected on International Space Station

Lots of details as people comment on it here:
Expedition 56 Thread - also covering the ISS leak

 

[Derek Kessler]

My favorite part: after they found the 2mm hole and were preparing to seal it, an astronaut just stuck his finger over the hole in the meantime.

 

[Haxster]

My favorite part: after they found the 2mm hole and were preparing to seal it, an astronaut just stuck his finger over the hole in the meantime.

I wonder how many fingers it would take to plug the leaks in the White House.

 

[Derek Kessler]

I wonder how many fingers it would take to plug the leaks in the White House.

Something something shove a fist in it.

 

[ecarfan]

My favorite part: after they found the 2mm hole and were preparing to seal it, an astronaut just stuck his finger over the hole in the meantime.

I want to know how you find a 2mm hole in a Soyuz!

 

[ecarfan]

From the article, quote: “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," NASA officials said in a subsequent statement about the status of the repair work. "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."

For “Kapton tape”, read “duct tape”.

 

[WentOffGrid]

Looks like the fix worked. It's held pressure perfect.

"Flight controllers at their respective Mission Control centers in Houston and Moscow worked together with the crew to effect a repair option in which Soyuz commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos used epoxy on a gauze wipe to plug the hole identified as the leak source."

 

[ecarfan]

used epoxy on a gauze wipe to plug the hole

Wow. How sophisticated. But whatever works!

Pretty soon those Soyuz will only be used by the Russian cosmonauts.

 

[adiggs]

From the article, quote: “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," NASA officials said in a subsequent statement about the status of the repair work. "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."

For “Kapton tape”, read “duct tape”.

Kapton tape - don't leave Earth without it.

Or maybe that's - epoxy and gauze - don't leave Earth without it.

 

[Grendal]

The hole causing the issue.

The repair.

 

[e-FTW]

The hole causing the issue.

That looks like a drill hole. Weird.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

How does that happen? And from the inside?

 

[S'toon]

A Meteorite Hit The International Space Station And An Astronaut Had To Plug The Leak With His Finger

 

[e-FTW]

A Meteorite Hit The International Space Station And An Astronaut Had To Plug The Leak With His Finger

Interesting.
Especially the part about that astronaut “touching space”!

 

[ggr]

Quick plug for Robert Heinlein (from Rereading Early Heinlein, part 2 | Views from Crestmont Drive):

“Gentlemen, Be Seated” involves a lunar quake that seals a journalist and two others in an underground tunnel with an air leak, which is patched by one of them literally pulling down his pants and using his bare butt to plug the leak, until help arrives.

 

[ecarfan]

How does that happen? And from the inside?

I’m unclear on why you say “from the inside”. The hole must have been caused by a micrometeorite impacting the vehicle from the outside.

 

[Vitold]

Hole must have been drilled out for epoxy fix. I do not get why they are saying that it could have been an aging or lost seal- was there a hole before?

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I’m unclear on why you say “from the inside”. The hole must have been caused by a micrometeorite impacting the vehicle from the outside.

When the story originally broke they were discussing the hole showing signs of being made from the interior, rather than exterior. Something could have changed with more analysis, I don't know.

 

[ecarfan]

When the story originally broke they were discussing the hole showing signs of being made from the interior, rather than exterior. Something could have changed with more analysis, I don't know.

Okay, I didn’t see that discussion. I can’t imagine something occurring inside the Soyuz that could result in a 2mm hole but of course I know very little about the detailed design and operation of that vehicle. It just seemed to me that a micrometeorite was by far the likeliest explanation.

 

[Model 3]

When the story originally broke they were discussing the hole showing signs of being made from the interior, rather than exterior. Something could have changed with more analysis, I don't know.

My guess based on facts:
· The control-center registered a small air-leak on the station, and did not know where and/or what it was. The people on-board was at sleep.
· The news leaked out (just like air ) and the journalists started to speculate and wrote an article based on that.
· The astronauts/cosmonauts wake up and was asked to try to locate the leak.
· They did discover the 2mm hole.
· The article was updated but they "forgot" to remove the speculation (word-count is word-count after all )