2023-11-06 00:00:47
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) recently encountered a potentially dangerous situation when they encountered a lump of ammonia during a spacewalk. The incident occurred following a leak was detected in an external radiator earlier this month. It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but the ammonia blobs posed a real danger. Ammonia is a toxic gas/liquid known for its corrosive nature and can cause immediate harm to human tissue upon contact, especially in high concentrations. Exposure to ammonia can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory tract, and in severe cases can lead to blindness, lung damage, and even death. Astronauts are protected by suits during spacewalks, but the presence of ammonia inside the space station can be dangerous for those working inside it. On October 25, 2023, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubut conducted a spacewalk to inspect the external radiator of the Nauka module of the ISS. (Image: NASA TV) During a spacewalk, cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubut document and isolate a cooling water leak from an external radiator that regulates the temperature of the Russian Nauka experimental module on the ISS. I was given a mission. The astronauts reset the valve to cut off the ammonia supply to the external radiator, observing ammonia clumps in the process. This blob is believed to have formed from residual ammonia that was disturbed during valve resetting. On October 25, 2023, during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, a lump of ammonia cooling water formed between the radiator panels following the thermal regulator was removed. (Image: NASA TV) Astronauts equipped with cleaning supplies took precautions to prevent toxic substances from entering the space station. One of Kononenko’s tethers became contaminated due to its close proximity to the blob, but it remained safely outside the ISS at the end of the spacewalk. The data collected by the astronauts will be examined by Russian engineers on the ground to determine the cause of the radiator leak and develop a repair plan. Despite the potential for a dangerous accident, the astronauts re-entered the ISS without any contamination, and no one was harmed during the accident.
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