NASA astronauts are performing an emergency spacewalk to try to stop ammonia from leaking from the International Space Station's power system, NASA television shows.
During the spacewalk, expected to last six and a half hours, flight engineers Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy will inspect and possibly repair the ammonia leak that affected the US segment of the orbiting laboratory on Thursday.
'Spacewalk under way to repair ammonia leak,' said the headline of a US space agency statement. Ammonia is used to cool the station's power system.
However the astronauts did not detect any signs of ammonia leaking into space in the first hour of their mission, NASA television said, adding that they 'have reported nothing out of the ordinary so far.'
Officials said the emergency spacewalk will set a precedent because it was being conducted at such short notice.
It will be the 168th excursion in support of the orbiting laboratory and the fourth for both Marshburn and Cassidy, who have worked together before.
ISS commander Chris Hadfield and Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov helped Marshburn and Cassidy suit up for the excursion, inspecting their gear and harnesses and making a series of elaborate checks.
'Good Morning, Earth! A complex vital day on Space Station,' Hadfield tweeted before the spacewalk began.
'Busy day!'
NASA has stressed that the lives of the multinational crew were not in danger, but both Russian and US space experts called the leak 'serious'.
See the original post here:
NASA astronauts on spacewalk to fix leak
- 2D Laser Profiling Scanner for Detecting Targets [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Energy Concept Could Harness the Power of Ocean Waves [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Data Acquisition Modules [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. Scott Barthelmy, Research Scientist, Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Laser Tracker Ensures Accurate Alignment of Ares I Components [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dual Cryogenic Capacitive Density Sensor [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Advanced Technologies Will Help Hubble Yield More Remarkable Discoveries [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. Gerard Holzmann, Senior Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Reliable Software, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Research Will Help Aircraft Avoid Ocean Storms and Turbulence [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Awards 2008 Software of the Year [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Here Come The Tricorders - Update [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- China's View on Space [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Milsat Coordination and Tracking Issues [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Trash Talking and End Runs at NASA HQ [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Ares 1-Y is Toast [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Beyond Augustine [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Analyzing LCROSS' Plume [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Live Event: NASA-Sponsored Power Beaming Challenge [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- JSC Wants To Build a Replicator [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- USA: Looking For Ways To Hang On [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Lunar Lander Challenge Prizes Awarded [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Senate Votes To Restore NASA Budget Cuts [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- New FAA Regs for Commercial Reentry [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- TEDxNASA: An Invitation-Only NASA Meeting - Unless You Are Lucky [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Close Call For Courtney Stadd [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Space: A Waste? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Making NASA Cool [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Engaging JSC’s Next Gen: A Leadership Analysis [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dumpster Diving for Rockets [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- TEDx NASA [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Reflections On a Business Trip in Huntsville [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Staying the Course [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Economics of Space [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Ideas at Work [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Blah Blah Blah - Why We Should Care About Social Media [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Will White House Speak Soon About NASA? [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2009]
- Software Aids Design of Ares V Composite Shroud Structure [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- ASDX Series of silicon pressure sensors [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Industry Update: Analysis & Simulation Software [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Battery Will Provide Backup Power for Space Shuttles [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- NASA Employee Claims To Have Witnessed Hijacking Planning [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Big Party in The Mojave Tonight [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Looking at Boulders on the Moon [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceBook Featured by White House [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- New Ways to Use Constellation Stuff [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- LaRC internal Poll Update [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Coalition for Space Exploration Does a (Much Needed) Reboot [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Lunar Orbiter: Comparing Old and New Images [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Boulder Trails On The Moon [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Vote for John Grunsfeld - National Geographic Adventurer of the YeAR [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Charlie Bolden at WIA/AIAA [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Live Webcast From The Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Big Aerospace Warns of Job Cut Impact [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The Boulders of Copernicus [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- shame on us [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- 2009 Space Elevator Games [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Random Hacks of Kindness [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- TEDx NASA Tickets Available to the Public [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- It’s better in person [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Leading Amidst the Disruptive Innovation Storm [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Space: What’s NOT to Hope for? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Government in the Digital Age [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceUp – A Space Unconference [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Starfleet Academy? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Crowdsourcing NASA [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Bringing Home The Bacon [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Anti-Space Mom with Pro-Space Kids [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- How Quickly We Forget [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- WISE Launch A Success [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Dynetics Buys Orion Propulsion [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2009]
- New NASA Governance Structure Under Development [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- Bolden Meets With Obama on Wednesday [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- MSFC Procurement Doesn't Understand what "Open Source" Means [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- Bolden Meets With Obama [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2009]
- Parker Griffith AT MSFC Today [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Why Your NASA Computer May Not Work Properly [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Lakes and Fog on Titan [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Waterworld Found [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Pandora Could Exist [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Laurie Leshin Is The New ESMD Deputy AA [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]