Sunday, May 12, 2013

The astronauts removed the pump from where the leak is suspected ammonia - Reuters

Ammonia snowflakes, seen from the window of the ISS astronauts

MOSCOW, May 11 – RIA Novosti. Astronauts unplug the unit pumps PFCS (Power Flow Control Subassembly) from where the leak is suspected of ammonia, and began to inspect the structure for traces of leakage.

Earlier in the process of disconnecting the unit, the astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Mashburn recorded several “snowflakes” of ammonia, but it is not possible to judge about the leak. “The place where the block was removed PFCS, looks very clean,” – said Cassidy.

Now he transferred Mashburn shot block on the site for storage.

Extraordinary spacewalk needed to detect ammonia leak from the cooling system of one of the two channels of power through which the station receives the energy from the solar panels are located at the main farm ISS P6. Leak was discovered on Friday night, and the spacewalk was undertaken urgently so precisely in order to make it more likely to quickly find the leak.

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