Uncrewed Russian Supply Spacecraft Docked at International Space Station Leaks Coolant

A Russian spacecraft docking at International Space Station had leaked coolant, the Russian space corporation and NASA reported Saturday. The incident didn't affect and posed no threat to the crew at the station.

Russia Releases A Statement About The Coolant Leakage

Roscosmos released an initial statement after confirming the news about its uncrewed supply ship. The corporation said the incident didn't affect the orbiting outpost because the hatch between the station and the Progress MS-21 had been locked.

The temperature and pressure on board the station are reportedly normal and the crew is safe. However, it was unclear whether the entire cargo ship or just part of its systems lost pressure. Sergei Krikalev, head of Roscosmos' crewed programs later clarified that there was depressurization of the craft's coolant loop, Phys.org reported.

Roscosmos has already launched an investigation into the possible reason behind the leakage. According to Krikalev, the experts will examine the materials and technologies used in spacecraft manufacturing.

They aim to conduct a thorough analysis to ensure that the incident would not affect similar components used in its next missions. The Roscosmos head said it was their priority.

NASA stated that its specialists are working with their Russian counterparts to resolve the coolant leakage.

The American agency also said that officials are monitoring all International Space Station systems and are not aware of any other problems. The crew is already aware of the cooling loop leak. They are safe and the space station operates as usual.

The announcement came shortly after the cargo ship docked smoothly at the station Saturday. The Progress MS-22 delivered almost three tons of food, water and fuel along with scientific equipment for the crew.

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Coolant Leakage in International Space Station

According to ABC News, a similar incident happened in December with the Soyuz crew capsule. According to Russian space officials, the incident was due to a tiny meteoroid that left a small hole in the radiator's exterior, causing the coolant to leak.

The leak reportedly began around 7:45 PM EST on Dec. 14. The controllers in both Houston and Moscow noticed the visible leak from the instrument module on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

The teams also received a notification about the low pressure in the coolant loop aboard Soyuz MS-22.

Due to the issue, the planned spacewalk aboard the ISS on Dec. 14 evening involving Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin was canceled.

The NASA TV coverage began around 9 p.m. when Prokoopyev and Petellin were suited up inside their Orlan spacesuits. They were completing the preparations for the Russia EVA-56 spacewalk. However, the frozen coolant has become increasingly visible on station cameras prompting NASA to cancel the spacewalk at around 9: 45 PM EST.

NASA issued a statement shortly after the leak was discovered. The U.S. agency announced that ground teams observed significant leaking of an unknown substance from the aft portion of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module on the International Space Station.

The spacewalk had been canceled, and ground teams in Moscow were assessing the nature of the fluid and its potential impact on the integrity of the Soyuz spacecraft, which launched on Sept. 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Prokopyev, Petelin, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio.