Yesterday we reported that NASA astronauts have fixed that critical cooling line leakage. This was the first repairing, and NASA scheduled two more repairing to be done on Monday (Dec 23) and Tuesday (Dec 24). But due to encountering a sudden issue with the spacesuit while repairing the leaked cooling line on first day, NASA has delayed the second repairing date until Tuesday.
Around two weeks ago, one of two identical cooling lines became too cold and later it was leaked. NASA tried to fix the issue remotely, but did not succeed. At then, NASA shut down all non-essential equipment inside the ISS and stopped nearly all research happening at the ISS. NASA realized that fixing that leakage will have to be done manually. Therefore, NASA sent two of its American astronauts named Mike Hopkin and Rick Mastracchio into ISS with snorkels as a backup if ‘just in case’ the astronauts’ helmets fill up with water while repairing the cooling line.
However, after reaching at the ISS, Hopkin and Mastracchio removed a bad valve from the ammonia pump. But during the operation, Mastracchio started experiencing unusually cold toes and started pumping up the heat inside his boats in order to continue in relative comfort. But this comfort didn’t remain so long and Mastracchio started experiencing more difficulty with his spacesuit.
Now NASA has shifted the second day of repairing that was supposed to happen today, meaning on Dec 23 (Monday) to Dec 24 (Tuesday). At this moment, NASA is trying to find out, whether or not water entered into the sublimator (a cooling unit) of Mastracchio’s suit while repairing the leaked cooling line. besides, NASA has mentioned that delaying the next steps of the valve replacement from Monday until Tuesday will give the agency “time to address the issue.”
Note that, tomorrow’s valve replacing spacewalk will be broadcast on NASA TV’s UStream, starting at 6:15 am ET (with the mission beginning roughly an hour after).
Source: Arstechnica
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