Small pressure leak discovered in ISS: NASA

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International Space Station
International Space Station

New Delhi : Scientists at mission control centers in Houston and Moscow discovered signs of the leak on International Space Station on August 29, when the six-member crew aboard the orbital outpost were asleep. Flight controllers monitored the situation until the crew awakened at their normal time, the next morning. Luckily, there was no sign of danger reported. The news has been released by NASA. A small pressure leak was discovered on the International Space Station, according to the space research organisation of the United States.

The ISS crew members then conducted "extensive checks" to determine the location of the pressure leak and found the problem on the Russian side of the space station. A hole measuring about two millimeters in diameter in the upper section of the Russian manned Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft was encountered. The spacecraft docked at the International Space Station in early June.

For now, crew members have sealed the hole with Kapton tape so as to slow down the leak of pressure. They are now working on a more comprehensive, long-term repair. 

"Once the patching is complete, additional leak checks will be performed. All station systems are stable, and the crew is in no danger as the work to develop a long-term repair continues," NASA said in the press release.

The section of the spacecraft, where the hole was located does not return to Earth.