The aging ISS is constantly fraught with growing struggles and concerns it seems. The latest event to throw the International Space Station into chaos is a potentially toxic smell and contamination hazard that arrived with a supply drop.
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As a supply ship docked with the International Space Station Russian side, the cosmonauts identified a toxic smell. As soon as the hatch opened they determined that something wasn't right with the cargo. So, they donned protective gear and started an air scrubbing procedure.
The hatch between the US and Russian side closed and has stayed that way. Despite the 30-minute air scrubbing process by the Russians, Don Pettit said he could still smell a spray paint smell emanating from the Russian side of the International Space Station.
NASA released a statement on the potential toxic hazard, saying "Space station air scrubbers and contaminant sensors monitored the station's atmosphere following the observation, and on Sunday, flight controllers determined air quality inside the space station was at normal levels." There is not currently too much cause for concern.
The International Space Station Is Showing It's Age
The International Space Station was really only supposed to be in orbit until 2015. However, with the constant maintenance, upgrades, and advancements, it's now planned to stay in space until 2030. But, the old ship is starting to get on a bit, and suffering for it too.
Over the years many little things have started to go wrong. The current cause for concern is the growing leak in the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel. Originally, this small leak was only letting out 0.2 lbs per day. The astronauts did their best to seal the leak, but, despite best efforts, it continued to grow.
A report released by NASA revealed that in April the International Space Station leak hit all-time highs of 3.7 lbs per day. They cannot for the life of them figure out where it's coming from. The current solution is to simply keep the section closed when not in use.
Further concerns raised are for the health of the two American astronauts currently trapped on the ISS. Due to a faulty escape vessel, they are going to be on the orbiting station much longer than planned. People have noticed their deteriorating health as they seem to be fading away. However, typically tight-lipped NASA says there is nothing to worry about.
